Seattle police ask for cell phone help during Saturday's Torchlight Parade

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's annual Torchlight Parade is Saturday, and Seattle police have an unusual message for people planning to go watch the parade.

On their online police blotter, they are asking people to avoid overloading the cellular network during the parade by tweeting and posting photos to Facebook. When the cellular network is overloaded, people may be unable to reach the city's 911 emergency center, police said.

Previous Seattle parades have put the cellular networks under a lot of strain, and some people had trouble calling for help. The police department says text messages are less taxing to the network than tweets and Facebook posts.

"If you plan on attending Torchlight, you can help keep networks moving smoothly by limiting your phone calls and social media use at the parade and using texts to communicate with friends and family."

And, they added, there will be plenty of police officers attending the parade who can be asked for assistance in person.

More information about Saturday's Torchlight parade can be found by clicking here.