Douglas County residents will have another option to contact 911 starting in January, but officials caution it should only be used in certain situations.
Douglas County will have Text to 911 capability starting January 5th. 911 director Mark Conrey says the FCC mandated that the four major wireless carriers make Text to 911 service available. He says the county is still testing the service, since Douglas County 911 is primarily a voice center.
Conrey says there are some advantages to the texting service.
"If you would be in trouble, if your life would be put in jeopardy by making a voice call, then by all means we want you to text, because that’s a protection by the caller. If your life is not put at risk by making a call, we still want you to call 911. That’s the most important thing about it."
Conrey says Text to 911 will also improve communication with hearing and speech-impaired residents who need help. He says accurately verifying a person’s exact location will be a challenge with text service, and calling 911 in an emergency is still the best option.
Text to 911 will only be available in English for now. Conry says it’s important that those texting to 911 don’t use abbreviations, and check their messages for corrections before sending.