BOISE, Idaho — Ada County's Emergency Dispatch Center unveiled a new service for county residents that allows them to send text messages to 911 on Friday morning.
Officials say they still encourage people to call 911 whenever they, but if they can't, texting can be their backup plan.
During the introduction, Ada County Sheriff Steve Bartlett described different scenarios where sending a text message to 911 would be appropriate.
"They may be sitting in a closet, or sitting in a car, a child laying under a bed, but they know they need to get police and services there," he said. "A good example of that would be a situation like that, where they need to remain quiet."
Whenever sending a text to 911, make sure to include where you are or where the emergency is, to the best of your ability.
Currently, the system cannot process pictures, videos, or emojis. Any text messages sent need to be in words only.
The service is available to all major phone carriers.