Image from InCourage Facebook page
Manitowoc County Emergency Services has partnered with lnCourage to promote “text 9-1-1” for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Residents of Manitowoc County are able to send text messages to 9-1-1, when they are having an emergency and are unable to speak. “If you are having an emergency you should call 9-1-1 in the traditional way if you can, but we know there are times when you may not be able to speak,” said Travis Waack, Emergency Services Director. “Those are the times to send a text message with your address and the type of emergency you are having to 9-1-1 instead.” Waack did note that you should make sure you send both your location and the type of emergency you are having in the text. A dispatcher will text you back, unless you request for them not to, to gather additional information if needed and reassure you that help is on the way.
The ability to text 9-1-1 has been in place for a number of years in Manitowoc County and has been used for a variety of different reasons. This new awareness campaign is a way for Emergency Services and InCourage to get the information into the hands of people who might be at risk.
Part of the campaign is the development of a new business card. Waack explains, “Between the Emergency Services Department and InCourage, we developed a business card that has some instructions on how to text to 9-1-1 and on the other side it has the non-emergency numbers as well as the crisis hotline that InCourage runs. We printed up a whole bunch of those business cards and now we are getting them into the hands of law enforcement, into the hands of social workers and other people in the InCourage network. We’re trying to get these cards into the hands of people who might need them as a reminder that this service is available.”
More information on InCourage, Manitowoc County’s Domestic Violence Center and Sexual Assault Resource Center, click HERE.
