McLean County Emergency Telephone System Board (E.T.S.B.) is announcing September 12, 2022, that it will begin accepting text-to-911 service for its territory September 19, 2022 – McLean County.
McLean County 911 Communication Center (METCOM) and Bloomington Dispatch can now receive text to 9-1-1 from wireless customers (up to 140 characters) in an emergency. Text to 9-1-1 should only be used in an emergency, when placing a call is not possible: For instance, if the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech impaired, or when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger.
If there is an emergency and you are unable to make a call, remember these steps:
- Don’t text and drive
- In the first text message send the location and type of emergency.
- Text in simple words – send a short text message in English without abbreviations or slang.
- Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker.
- Don’t Abuse 9-1-1 Text-to-9-1-1 service is ONLY for emergencies
- The Text-to-9-1-1 service may have many challenges.
A text or data plan is required to place a Text-to-9-1-1. As with all text messages, messages to 9-1-1 may take longer to receive, may get out of order, or may not be received at all.
If you do not receive a text response from 9-1-1, try to contact 9-1-1 another way. Text-to-9-1-1 cannot include more than one person. Do not send your emergency text to anyone other than 9-1-1.
Voice Calls to 9-1-1 Are Still the Best and Fastest Way to Contact 9-1-1. Remember, Text-to-9-1-1 service is not available everywhere in Illinois and the U.S.
