How to Report a Problem: Text WISS
With a small staff, FOW relies on the public to report issues they observe in the park in order to address them in a timely manner, and ensure the preservation of Wissahickon Valley Park for generations to come. These problems can range from not urgent (for example, a fallen tree blocking a trail) to emergency situations (someone is hurt in the park). All emergency situations should be reported to 911 first and foremost, but to quickly and efficiently alert our staff to a non-emergency issue, park visitors can use our Report a Problem text system.
Before we begin our brief tutorial on how to text in an issue in the park, it’s important to take a photo or drop a pin of your location on your phone’s map app. This will allow us to geolocate the position of that fallen tree or broken fence rail, and will avoid wasted hours wandering a specific trail trying to find the source of the problem. Here’s instructions on how to drop a pin in Google Maps and Apple Maps. (Once you’ve dropped your pin, you’ll need to take a screen shot–here’s instructions for Androids and iPhones. Please make sure you include enough surrounding park to make the pin location identifiable).
Now that you’ve marked your location with a photo of the issue or a mapped pin, let’s begin:
- Text WISS to (267) 966-2207.
- You’ll receive an automatic reply with three options: TREE, JOIN, CARE, or MORE. Reply TREE to report a park problem.
- If you reply TREE, it will send a form to submit a park damage. Click the link and fill out all the fields:
- What kind of damage is this (a downed tree, trash or short dumping, damage to a structure, signage damage, or graffiti)?
- A description of the park problem.
- A description of the location: please use park coordinates if possible!
- Attach the screenshot we took of your Google or Apple maps.
- Your name and contact information for any further questions FOW staff may have.
Thanks for helping us make the park safer for everyone to enjoy!