Emergency response services in Morehead are receiving an update. Morehead and Rowan County residents now have a direct line to 911 dispatchers through text.
Officials said Text-to-911 is a vital service for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. Karen Lewis is the director of 911 for the City of Morehead. She said there are other sensitive situations where texting may be necessary.
“If you can’t call. If you’re in a situation where it’s best if you text, my opinion, I think domestic violence automatically. If someone is in a situation where they don’t want to let the other person know that they are calling 911, they can text. It would be more discreet like that,” said Lewis.
Lewis added that text-to-911 has some guidelines so first responders can work effectively. Lewis said dispatchers need to know some key information.
“Say ‘I am here, this is what’s going on.’ That’s the most thing. Do not send emojis or pictures because as of right now we can’t accept pictures or videos. It’s just text only,” said Lewis.
After a text is sent to 911, Morehead-Rowan County dispatchers will respond within a minute with safety instructions and further questions.
More information can be found here.