Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Impaired residents in the County of St. Paul can now use text messaging to reach 911 during an emergency. The new Text with 911 (T9-1-1) service is offered through the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, which provides emergency dispatch for the county.
To use the service, eligible residents must first register their cell phone with their wireless provider. In an emergency, they call 911 as usual. If the operator hears no voice response, the system alerts them that the phone is registered for T9-1-1, and the operator begins sending text messages.
The service is exclusive to the DHHSI community and only for genuine emergencies. Residents are encouraged to contact their provider to confirm their phone supports T9-1-1 before an emergency happens.
The County of St. Paul announced the service on its fire emergency services webpage. The timing follows the region’s transition to Next Generation 911 on June 15, 2026, a modern system that can handle text, photos, and video alongside voice calls. Fire Chief Trevor Kotowich called that launch an important milestone for local emergency services.
T9-1-1 is considered a best efforts service due to technology limits. Text messages are not guaranteed to send, deliver, or arrive quickly. More information is available at TextWith911.ca.
