Bucks County Implements 911 Texting Program
By Kim Glovas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Texting 911 in an emergency came onto the national radar screen last year. Now, Bucks County is implementing the program.
Bucks County dispatchers will soon be able to receive 911 texts from county residents.
Audrey Kenny, acting director of the County's 911 program, says it provides another option in cases of emergency, but she says texting should still be the secondary choice.
"Really, the message is that you should call if you can, and only text if you cannot. It gives us an opportunity for folks that are just unable to make a voice call, to have a way or a means to notify 911 of an emergency that has arisen."
Kenny says residents can just type 911 into the address field, and then type the emergency information into the message field. Dispatchers in Montgomery and Chester Counties are already accepting 911 texts in emergency situations.