How to text 911: A content analysis of text-to-911 public education information

Public education programs improve public safety by teaching citizens how to mitigate risks and respond to emergencies. To improve these efforts, studies in the fields of risk communication and emergency management have examined the design and communication of public education information. However, few studies examine the diversity of information officials communicate to the public when state and national-level public education programs are decentralized and administered by local government agencies. This study reports findings from a content analysis of text-to-911 information published on the websites of local 911 service entities across the state of Texas. Overall, these websites communicate sparse, uneven, and sometimes inconsistent information to citizens across the state regarding the availability of text-to-911 service, when and for whom texting 911 is appropriate, and instructions and warnings for texting 911 during an emergency. These findings suggest the need for public education resources that help local governments communicate with local audiences and coordinate communications across jurisdictions working to accomplish state and national public-safety objectives.