Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) is a specialized texting service available for people who are Deaf/Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing or Speech Impaired (DHHSI) that allows registered users to communicate with 9-1-1 call takers via text. To register visit www.textwith911.ca.
Watch the step-by-step video below in American Sign Language to learn how the service works and what to expect if you need to contact 9-1-1.
T9-1-1 works differently than regular texting and there are very important things DHHSI persons need to know in order to use this special text service:
-
- You must pre-register your cellphone with your cellphone company (such as TELUS, Rogers, Bell). Visit this website to register: www.textwith911.ca
- You must have a cellphone that can make voice calls and send/receive texts. If you are not sure if your cellphone can do both, check with your cellphone company (such as TELUS, Rogers, Bell).
- Call from an area where T9-1-1 and cell service is available. Visit this website for a full list of communities where the service is available: www.textwith911.ca
- In an emergency, you must first dial 9-1-1 like any other caller to establish a voice connection – this is the only way a text session can start. Do not start texting until you get a text from the 9-1-1 operator.
Click map to enlarge and see areas where T9-1-1 is available in B.C.
It is important that DHHSI persons register their cellphone for T9-1-1 and learn how the service works. Visit www.textwith911.ca to register your cellphone and learn more.
We have a variety of education materials to help DHHSI persons and their families understand how T9-1-1 works, including a T9-1-1 diagram and special presentation that outlines the areas where T9-1-1 is available, details on how to register, how the service works and what to expect if you need to contact 9-1-1.
Locations where Text with 9-1-1 is available (*E-Comm service area):
| Anmore | Belcarra | Bowen Island | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Delta/Tsawwassen/Ladner |
| Egmont | Elphinstone | Gibsons | Halfmoon Bay | Langley (City & Township) | Lions Bay |
| Maple Ridge | New Westminster | North Vancouver (District & City) | Pemberton | Pender Harbour | Pitt Meadows |
| Port Coquitlam | Port Moody | Richmond | Roberts Creek | Sechelt | Squamish |
| Surrey | Vancouver | West Howe Sound | West Vancouver | White Rock | Whistler |
| Furry Creek, Britannia, Porteau, Upper Squamish, Upper Cheakamus, Ring Creek, Pinecrest/Black Tusk Village | Howe Sound Communities of Ocean Point, Strachan Point, Montizambert Wynd, Bowyer Island and Passage Island |
Indian Arm/Pitt Lake Communities (Boulder Island, Carraholly Point, Northern Portion of Indian Arm and West side of Pitt Lake) | Pemberton Meadows, Mt. Currie, D’Arcy Corridor, Whistler-Pemberton Corridor | University of BC, University Endowment Lands, Barnston Island | Vancouver Island |
| Central and Southern Interiors: Regional Districts of Central Okanagan, North Okanagan, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola, East Kootenay, Kootenay-Boundary and Squamish-Lillooet (North) | Northern Interior: Regional Districts of Fraser-Fort George, Cariboo, Kitimat-Stikine and Bulkley-Nechako | Peace River Regional District: Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Pouce Coupe, Taylor and Tumbler Ridge |
NOTE: Calls to 9-1-1 via TTY (telephone typewriter) units will continue to be accepted.
If a DHHSI caller doesn’t have a TTY unit or pre-registered cellphone for Text with 9-1-1, the caller should dial 9-1-1 from a landline telephone and not hang up. The line will remain open. If you are calling from your home phone or a business telephone (a phone that plugs directly into a telephone outlet in the wall) the caller’s address is displayed on the 9-1-1 operator’s screen. This will allow the 9-1-1 operator to send police. For more information on TTY visit: https://deafwellbeing.vch.ca/
E-Comm Text with 9-1-1 statistics
| Year | # Calls | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | # Calls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 29 | |
| 2022 | # Calls | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 22 |
| 2021 | # Calls | 4 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
| 2020 | # Calls | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 38 |
| 2019 | # Calls | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23 |
| 2018 | # Calls | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 42 |
| 2017 | # Calls | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 57 |
For total 9-1-1 call volume statistics and monthly service level numbers, visit our 9-1-1 call statistics page.