Verizon Wireless customers in Erath County, including Stephenville, can now send a short message service (SMS) text message to 911 for emergency help when unable to make a 911 voice call.

This service is available to less than 10 areas nationwide and Erath County is one of the first in Texas.

“Verizon Wireless and Telecommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) have been at the forefront of working with public safety stakeholders to bring text to 911 to our customers,” Richard Craig, director of engineering for Verizon Wireless said in a North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) press release. “The SMS911 National Gateway enable us to bring reliable emergency communications to public safety points (PSAPs) across the country. We were proud to work alongside the North Central Texas Council of Government and TCS, to deploy this new solution.”

According to the Federal Communications Commission website, www.fcc.gov, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon have all voluntarily committed to provide text-to-911 service by May 15, 2014 in all areas served by their networks where a 911 call center is prepared to receive texts.

Verizon Wireless customers in Erath County should use the texting option only when calling 911 is not an option. NCTCOG stated, using a phone to call 911 is most efficient way to reach emergency help because texting is not always instantaneous.

Text to 911 is intended primarily for use in two emergency scenarios: for an individual who is hearing impaired and for a person who is unable to make a voice call, for example during a medical emergency that renders the person incapable of speech, or in the instance of a home invasion or abduction.

Providing location information and nature of the emergency in the first text message is imperative, since Erath County will receive only an approximate location of the cell phone, and will not be able to speak with the person sending the text. Text abbreviations or slang should never be used and no pictures, video, attachments, or other recipients should be appended to the message.

Verizon Wireless customers must have mobile phones that are capable of sending text messages for this service to work.

For more information and/ or updates regarding text-to-911, visit: http://www.fcc.gov/text-to-911