Miami Beach Fire Department reminds residents texting 911 available for emergencies

Tracy Cadet of the Miami Beach Fire Department’s Public Safety Communications Division explained that residents can text 911 during emergencies in Miami Beach and throughout Miami-Dade County when a voice call is not possible. Texting 911 is intended for situations such as when a person is deaf or hard of hearing, unable to speak, in a situation where speaking would be unsafe, or when there is insufficient signal to place a voice call.

Cadet gave step-by-step instructions: open your text messages, enter 911 in the recipient field with no spaces or dashes, include your exact location and the nature of the emergency in the message, then send and be ready to answer follow-up questions from dispatch. Cadet advised keeping the phone on silent if in a dangerous situation.

Cadet also warned not to send photos, videos, emojis, slang, abbreviations, or group texts; only text 911 directly. She said the service is available through all major carriers but only in areas where it has been launched, and that if a text is sent from an area that does not support text-to-911, the sender will receive a message instructing them to call instead. Calling remains the fastest way to get help; Cadet summarized the guidance as, "call if you can, text if you can't." For more information, she directed listeners to the city web page at miamibeachfl.gov/pscd.