By Theresa Knapp 

The Text-to-911 service is available in many Massachusetts communities, including Hopedale and nearby Milford, Mendon and Upton. It is not available in several others, including Bellingham. 

According to the Federal Communications Commission, the Text-to-911 service began in 2015. And www.mass.gov says it started in Massachusetts in 2018. 

Both agencies say the most efficient way to reach 911 is to make a voice call but if you can’t, you can text. 

How it works: Your mobile device must have an active text or data plan for this feature to work. 

If you can’t make a voice call, open your text messages. Start a new message and text “911” in the “To” field. Do not add other contacts in the To field – text 911 only. 

Make every effort to include this information in the text: location including the specific address and town name; what is happening (what is the emergency); any additional details about the location (landmarks, cross streets, apartment number/floor/room number, etc.). 

Avoid sending pictures, videos, emojis. Avoid using slang and abbreviations. 

Do not use more than 160 characters or the message will be broken and sent in fragments that could be received by 911 in the wrong order. 

What if the text bounces back?

The service is not available in all areas in Massachusetts or in every state, and your text might not go through. If the text does not go through to 911, it will send you a bounce-back message to let you know. You should then make every effort to contact them by making a voice call.  

For more information and a full facts sheet, visit bit.ly/MAtext911 

To view the full Federal Communications Commission’s Text-to-911 Registry, visit bit.ly/3XPlNi7 or www.fcc.gov.