Cleveland Fire Brigade has made it easier for the hard of hearing and deaf to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency.

An upgraded app service means they can get in touch immediately without having to get anyone else to speak to a fire control operator on their behalf.

The live Texmee app can be downloaded to provide a rapid response. As soon someone clicks on the Cleveland Fire Brigade logo it will start to dial and all they have to do is start typing. It is all instant and in real time as there is no send button.

Typing GA or ‘go ahead’ at the end of the message will let the operator know the message has finished and will respond with further questions to enable the Brigade to obtain the address and type of incident

The app is available for emergency 999 calls only.

Phil Lancaster, Director of Community Protection for Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “Those affected by any form of deafness can rest assured they still have exactly the same service as everyone else and will get a rapid response to any emergency. The app is especially easy to use and quick and we would recommend this is downloaded in advance so in the unfortunate event that you may need us then it is ready to go.”

Full details are available at www.clevelandfire.gov.uk

The hard of hearing can also raise the alarm by texting a message to 07718 999999

Anyone making malicious or nuisance 999 calls using any system, can be traced back to their network provider and reported to the police and prosecuted.