New Hampshire Residents Can Text 911

People in New Hampshire can now text emergencies to 911.

The four biggest wireless providers – Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, began voluntarily providing the service last year and the Federal Communications Commission required it from all providers by the end of 2014.

The FCC tells people to limit texts for help to circumstances when voice calls can’t be made, such as for the deaf, or in cases when it’s not safe to speak.

People with a text plan type 9-1-1 into the “To” field on a mobile device then enter a brief description of the emergency. Don’t use abbreviations, shorthand, photos, video or emoticons. Use simple words and be prepared to answer the dispatcher’s questions.

If a text message does not go through, the sender will receive a notification.