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Texting During an Emergency
Most mobile phones can send text messages, but remember that
you cannot send text messages to 9-1-1.
During a large-scale emergency, such as a natural disaster, voice
networks can become congested or overloaded with an influx of
mobile phone voice calls. This can result in people not being able
to speak with those they want to contact, such as friends or loved
ones. In some rare instances, congestion on the voice network can
also hinder communications among emergency service personnel.
Text messages, however, use less network capacity than normal
mobile phone voice calls and may be more reliable for brief
communication with friends or loved ones during emergencies. So,
even if a network is congested with voice calls, a text message to a
friend or loved one may have a higher likelihood of getting through
sooner than a voice call. And equally as important, by texting
during an emergency, you are freeing up the voice lines for
emergency officials to use.
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