The North Texas Emergency Communications Center (NTECC), Coppell's public safety dispatch and operations organization, has created a new, simpler way for residents to contact first responders for non-emergency calls.
The new phone number, *247, is available to residents with a cellular phone throughout NTECC’s jurisdiction, which includes the Cities of Carrollton, Coppell, Farmers Branch, and the Town of Addison. Although *247 is not available on landlines, each municipality will maintain its existing standard, 10-digit non-emergency phone number such as 469-289-3270 in Coppell, which is available on both cellular phones and landlines for those residents without cell phone access. The addition of *247 will make it easier for residents to remember the number in non-emergency situations while also providing yet another option for reaching assistance.
All four major phone carriers, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint have access to *247, which provides most residents the ability to utilize this service in any of NTECC’s four municipalities. Another major benefit of this service is that it costs taxpayers zero dollars.
“In 2019, NTECC upgraded its 911 communications infrastructure to a new, all-digital NextGen911 system, the first of its kind in Texas,” Terry Goswick, Executive Director of NTECC said. “With the addition of this new *247 non-emergency phone number, we can continue to keep residents’ well-being our top priority by providing them the best possible services.”
As *247 indicates, this number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents are encouraged to contact *247 for any non-emergency public safety situation at any time day or night.
Examples of a non-emergency include noise complaints, property theft where the theft has already occurred such as a stolen bicycle, a vehicle break-in not currently in progress, and other non-life-threatening situations. For general City information such as facility hours of operations, residents should still call 972-462-0022. Residents should continue to contact 911 for emergencies such as a fire, medical emergency, or any instance where a person or property is in immediate danger. Residents can also contact 911 through text message, and they are reminded that if in doubt, call 911 if they can, and text if they can’t. A resident’s location data is one of the most crucial pieces of information when contacting 911.