Alpharetta, Milton offer 911 text capability

Find yourself in a dangerous situation, but don’t want to obviously call 911? Alpharetta is reminding citizens about technology introduced in May 2014 that allows anyone in Alpharetta or Milton to text 911 if they are unable to speak or if speaking could put them in danger. Cell phone users can text a trained 911 operator and receive help in the event of an emergency.

There are some limitations to the system. You cannot send photos or videos at this time, and you must know your location so a proper response can be sent. Check with your wireless service carrier to be sure they participate in the program. You will receive a bounce back message if the service is not available with your carrier. There is also no language translation service for 911.

Alpharetta is reminding residents it is always better to call 911 when you need to report an emergency and only use text to 911 as a last resort.