Police give tips to stay safe during eclipse gatherings

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville Police are up and ready for the crowds at the Evansville riverfront.

[Previous: ‘Have a plan’: Final preparations for Eclipse Day underway]

Officer Taylor Merriss spoke with Tanner Holbrook on 14 News Sunrise:

There are going to be a lot of large gatheringsso we wanted to make sure you’re prepared in case cell signal is spotty.

Leaders with our local AT&T representatives say it could be easier to send a text to friends and family if you need to communicate with them.

For emergency services, that may be a great option.

Evansville 911 dispatchers say they accept texts to 911, and if you have an emergency, it’s a great resource if you need help.

If you’re trying to call 911 and can’t get through, dispatchers say keep trying or send a text to them.

”It’s going to be easier to send a text because that uses less capacity on the network rather than doing a video facetime call with your friends and family to see the eclipse. So, if you’re doing that, we definitely recommend being on Wi-Fi,” said Rachel King with AT&T.

You can enable Wi-Fi calling to make calls and text over Wi-Fi, instead of a cell phone tower network.

Just keep in mind, if you use Wi-Fi calling to dial 911, dispatchers can’t see you’re location. So, be sure to tell them where you are.

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