“Call if you can; text if you can’t.”  That is the new slogan the Lake Havasu City Police Department and the Federal Communications Commission would like to share with the community.  Text-to-9-1-1 is the ability to send a text message to reach 9-1-1 emergency call takers from your mobile phone or device.  Starting today, April 5, 2017 this new service is available to Lake Havasu City residents in emergency situations where it may be too dangerous to make a voice call or for those with a hearing or speech impairment in need of emergency help. 

This is a web-based service also being used by several California law enforcement agencies that border the Colorado River and surrounding area, making the system compatible when transferring calls to the proper jurisdiction.  The Lake Havasu City Police Department is the first law enforcement agency in Arizona to offer the service.  This is another tool the community can use to communicate with the police department in the event of an emergency.

The four major wireless carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon have made the technology available to dispatch call centers and it is paid for through the 9-1-1 surcharge tax collected by the carriers.  A text or data plan is required to place a text-to-9-1-1 call.  Text messages may take longer to send or receive, depending on the coverage area.  If the caller is roaming or the service is unavailable, the caller will receive a bounce back message stating, “Make a voice call to 911 for help; text-to-9-1-1 is not available.”

Text-to-9-1-1 should only be used in an emergency and only if a voice call cannot be made.  If you are unsure if your carrier provides the text-to-9-1-1 service, contact your wireless carrier.

A few months ago, the Lake Havasu City Police Department also introduced a free App which can be downloaded by searching “Lake Havasu City PD” in the Play Store on any Android, Windows or Apple platform.  The new App allows Lake Havasu City Police to quickly disseminate emergency alerts, post information about missing persons, traffic delays, press releases and even allows the user to submit information about criminal activity directly to the police department.  In the event of an emergency, LHCPD App users will receive instant notification via their mobile devices.  

Please remember, do not text and drive.

Public Information Officer:  Sergeant Tom Gray (928) 855-1171