Need help but can’t make a phone call? You can now text 911 in Miami-Dade
A new text-to-911 service in Miami-Dade is making it easier to request help when calling is not possible.
The new feature is now available throughout the county, including all seven 911 centers. That includes those run by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, in addition to the cities of Miami Beach, Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Aventura and the village of Pinecrest, according to a news release.
The initiative will aid those who are deaf or hard of hearing, unable to speak, in a dangerous situation where they are unable to make a voice call, or unable to call 911 due to lack of cell reception, according to Miami Beach Fire Chief Digna Abello.
To use the texting service, messages must be addressed to 911 without any additional spaces, dashes or other characters. Text messages should not include abbreviations, slang, emojis, photos or videos. The service also does not support group texts, so 911 must be the only recipient.
One downside: Texting 911 can make it difficult for dispatchers to locate someone, meaning it’s important for callers to provide accurate and exact details of their location, Abello said.
“It’s extremely important when you are texting, keep it simple,” Abello said. “[Text] ‘I have an emergency,’ provide the exact address [and] city location.”
The initiative was in the works for over five years, said Lazaro Guerra, Miami Beach’s administrator for the Public Safety Communications Division. Guerra noted that those handling 911 texts are the same trained dispatchers who’d be handling calls.
“It’s just another tool in the toolbox for someone in a situation where they can’t do a voice call, that they’re able to, you know, text their emergency,” Abello said.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
