Durham's 911 center has started texting some callers updates and surveys hours or days after a call. Here are the three numbers the texts come from and how to opt out.
If you call 911 in Durham, you may now get a text message about it afterward. The Durham Emergency Communications Center has started sending automated updates and short surveys to some callers.
The city announced the service Monday. It is called PowerEngage. The texts go only to callers whose call was not life-threatening.
When the texts arrive
A text may come hours or days after the call, the city said. Whether you get one depends on the type and priority of the call.
A message may do one of two things:
- give a brief update related to your call
- invite you to answer a short survey about how the 911 center handled it
The survey also lets callers name and thank a telecommunicator who helped them. Answering is optional.
“Much like private companies use automated text messages to provide customers with notifications, updates, and satisfaction surveys, DECC can now offer a similar level of communication to the community we serve,” Tangela Walker, acting director of Emergency Communications, said in the announcement.
How to tell a real text from a scam
The center’s PowerEngage page lists the only three numbers the survey texts come from:
| Number the text comes from |
|---|
| 984-983-6706 |
| 984-342-2738 |
| 984-502-7738 |
These numbers send texts only. The city says not to call or text them back, because they are not connected to working phone lines.
A text from one of those numbers after a 911 call may be genuine. A text from any other number that claims to be from Durham 911 is not on the city’s list.
How to opt out
You do not have to take part. The city lists these options:
- ignore the message
- reply STOP to end future texts
- call 919-237-4167
- fill in the online opt-out form to opt out before any text arrives
- email Engage911@DurhamNC.gov
You can also give feedback about a 911 call without waiting for a text, through the PowerEngage community feedback survey.
What happens to your phone number
The system takes the number you gave during the call from the center’s computer-aided dispatch system, the city said. The city says numbers are not sold or shared for anyone else’s marketing. They are passed only to the messaging vendors that send the texts on the center’s behalf.
What it means for you
- Never reply to one of these texts with an emergency. The city says nobody monitors them. Call 911 for an emergency or a crime in progress.
- For anything that is not an emergency, call the police non-emergency line at 919-560-4600.
- If a text says it is from Durham 911, check the number against the three above before you tap a link.
For other city phone numbers, see our guide to who to call at City Hall, and for police and fire calls in the news, the Police and Fire log.
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