Staff Report / FMlocal.org

**RapidSOS Offers Guidance for Contacting 911 During Hurricanes**

Fort Myers, FL – The Fort Myers Police Department has released essential best practices for residents on how to effectively reach 911 during major incidents such as hurricanes. The department emphasizes that individuals should only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

Key recommendations include:

- **Limit calls to true emergencies**: This helps prevent the 911 lines from becoming overwhelmed during critical times, allowing emergency responders to assist those in immediate danger quicker.

- **Utilize Wi-Fi calling**: Residents are advised to connect to Wi-Fi and enable Wi-Fi calling whenever possible, as cellular networks may become unreliable during severe weather.

- **Text 911 if necessary**: In cases where placing a voice call is not possible, texting 911 can serve as an alternative method to communicate with emergency services.

- **Emergency SOS over Satellite**: For those with devices that support this feature, using Emergency SOS over Satellite can facilitate connections to emergency responders even without cellular service.

- **Potential location tracking**: If a call does not connect, 911 may still receive the caller’s location and contact information, and may make efforts to reach out to the caller via call or text.

Additionally, the police department noted that public safety operations may be suspended when sustained wind speeds reach 45 mph, and it encouraged residents to use 211 for non-emergency assistance during such conditions.

These guidelines are part of the effort to ensure community safety amidst ongoing weather challenges.

Source: Fort Myers Police Department | Fort Myers FL

Source Type: Police

Source Location:

Fort Myers, FL

2210 Widman Way, Fort Myers, FL

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