In a life-threatening emergency, every second counts when calling for potentially life-saving help. However, not everyone can make or receive a call, making it crucial to activate a little-known 999 feature on every phone.
TikTok user Charlotte (@thatis.newstome) recently highlighted this feature on her page, saying: “I was finishing my first aid course and the best hack I learnt is that you can text 999 – but only if you set it up in advance. I did not know this, it’s not common knowledge but I told my family [how] to text 999.”
Charlotte found it “terrifying” to text the emergency services, but enabling the feature required just two simple words. She sent the word ‘Register’ via text message to 999, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The automated response from the emergency service line read: “After reading ALL this message, send the word ‘YES’ to 999 to complete your registration-otherwise, your phone isn’t registered. In an emergency, you will know your message has been received ONLY when you get a reply from an emergency service-until then, try other methods.”
Charlotte added: “It honestly felt scary to text the emergency number but it could save your life and it does work. With landlines going out of fashion, you’re not guaranteed to get a response for just a blank 999 call.”
“Also, it’s useful in scenarios when you can’t talk-a terror attack, kidnapping, danger on a first date.” The TikTok user showcased a graphic and stressed that this function is for SMS text messages only, not applicable to other messaging apps such as WhatsApp.
The advisory detailed that the emergency SMS should contain three key pieces of information if possible. People should mention:
- Who: The service (or services) required – Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance or Coastguard.
- What: Briefly, explain what the problem is
- Where: Exactly where the problem is happening. Give the name of the house number or nearby landmarks if possible.
Commenters were stunned to discover this life-saving feature. One said: “Just learned this in my first aid course too! Signed up immediately!” Another added: “Thank you so much for this information, this is so invaluable!”.
A third wrote: “This is so good for people who can’t speak English. They could literally translate it via Google and send it.” Meanwhile, a 999 call handler shared: “As a 999 call handler, I’ve seen this service save lives so many times! It’s a really good thing and can help people in loads of different scenarios, definitely worth setting up!”
What happens after I send my emergency text?
Upon sending an SOS text, expect a prompt response from emergency services seeking additional details or confirming that assistance is on the way. The guidance clarified: “Don’t assume that your message has been received until the emergency service sends a message back.”
Typically, a reply should come within two minutes. However, if no response is received after three minutes, people are urged to resend or seek alternative means of help.
Other ways to contact the emergency services
In the UK, besides calling 999 for emergencies, you can also use 112 for emergencies, which connects to the same emergency services. If you call 999 and cannot speak, you can follow the operator’s instructions and, if prompted, press 55 to indicate it’s a genuine emergency. This will alert the police.
For non-emergencies, the police non-emergency number is 101 which can be used for reporting a crime that is not currently happening. Many police forces offer a web chat service.
If it is an emergency, you should always call 999. Web chat can be a faster way to report non-emergency incidents than waiting on the phone, and can also free up call handlers for emergency calls.