Full Notification

The Farmington Hills Police Department is alerting all Farmington Hills, Farmington, Franklin, and Bingham Farms residents that at this time, telephone contact remains the best method to reach 911 in emergency situations. Currently, most communities in Oakland County (including Farmington Hills) are NOT equipped with 911 texting capabilities.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has recently established the capability to accept texts to 911 for all of Oakland County. This is an interim solution until Next Generation 911 technology is further developed. When the text-to-911 capabilities have been established, they will be deployed to local emergency dispatch centers throughout Oakland County, including Farmington Hills.

In the event that the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office does receive a text-to-911 communication involving the jurisdictions of Farmington Hills, Farmington, Franklin or Bingham Farms, the information received will need to be relayed by telephone to 911 operators at the Farmington Hills Police Department. Procedures are currently in place to handle this process, but it is important to understand that delays may occur in important information reaching the emergency dispatch center if texting is used.

The Farmington Hills Police Department reminds residents that texting is NOT the best method for contacting 911. A voice call from a cell phone or land line is always the preferred method. Texting should only be used when the caller cannot safely speak, or cannot hear or speak for physiological or other reasons. Please remember - “Call when you can, text only when you cannot.”