Residents in Meigs County, Tennessee, can now send a text to 911 dispatchers because of new technology that’s making a call for help easier for those with disabilities or in situations in which they can’t speak aloud.
Call if you can, text it you can’t, according to a statement issued by the Meigs County 911 Addressing Office. The service enables Meigs County residents to send a text message of up to 140 characters to 911 dispatchers during emergencies when making a voice call isn’t possible.
The ability to text 911 can be especially helpful for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech-impaired or in situations in which speaking out loud could put them at risk.
The upgrade is a welcome advancement and a capability many other communities have implemented, said Eddie Jewell, Meigs County’s mayor.