911 services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Residents with Speech Disabilities
In addition to TTY services, deaf, hard of hearing, and residents with speech disabilities can now text or email Denver 911 to report an emergency and non-emergency situations occurring in Denver and around the metro area.
Text 911: Enter the numbers 911 in the “To” field - do not include dashes.
- Include the location of the emergency in the text and a brief summary of the situation. The most important information a caller can relay via phone or text is the LOCATION where help is needed (example: I’m at 1234 S Main St, intruder in my house).
- The Denver 911 call taker will reply to the text message with a series of questions. Answer the questions and follow the instructions provided to the best of your ability.
- Be as attentive as possible to the text message conversation with Denver 911 using short and timely texts.
- Do not use abbreviations or slang, as the meaning could be misconstrued and create a delay in the arrival of emergency services.
- Stay engaged in the text conversation as much as possible and do not delete the message or turn off your phone until the Denver 911 call taker concludes the conversation.
Email: Denver911@denvergov.org
Be sure to text or email the following information:
- The location where help is needed
- A summary of the situation
- A response to the information requested by 911 such as injuries and suspect descriptions
- Also, stay engaged in the text conversation as much as possible and do not delete the message or turn off your phone until the Denver 911 call taker concludes the conversation
TTY
TTY is an electronic device for text communication with individuals who are deaf. The device uses a series of tones that allow users to communicate via a keyboard and telephone interface at 911. Deaf and hard of hearing community members are encouraged to maintain a TTY machine to access 911 when a text pager or email is unavailable.
Denver's 911 call takers are trained on the use of the TTY and check all 911 hang-ups and “silent” phone calls or “open lines” using both voice and TTY commands to verify if a member of the deaf or hard of hearing community is on the line.