INDIANAPOLIS -- Even though AT&T cell phones couldn't call 911 Wednesday night, people could still contact the county's emergency responders using local numbers or text-to-911.
It’s a resource many don’t know exist, but it can save your life if you’re in a situation where you can’t make an actual phone call.
All 92 counties in the state of Indiana can receive texts at the 911 dispatch center.
If you’re texting a message to 911, dispatchers recommend keeping it brief and including as much specific information as you can.
Dispatchers say you should always call 911 when the option is available.
The Federal Communications Commission has said it would open an investigation into the cause of Wednesday night’s outage.
If you use a wireless phone or another type of mobile device, make sure to do the following in an emergency:
- Always contact 911 by making a voice call, if you can.
- If you can’t call 911 because you’re in a dangerous situation you can text your emergency to 911.
- If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled, and text-to-911 is not available, use a TTY or a telecommunications relay service, if possible.
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