911 emergency text service now available in Riverside County

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department rolled out 911 texting services within the County. The feature was made available in January and is meant to better serve those who are hearing/voice impaired, are in a dangerous situation where you are unable to speak, or during a medical emergency in which you are incapable of speech. It works by entering 911 in the "to" field of your message, provide your location and the nature of your emergency, and respond to any questions the dispatcher sends. As of right now the service it only available in English. RSO also says to not send pictures or videos, do not use emojis, acronyms, abbreviations or send in a group message. RSO stresses the fact that you should only use the service if calling is not an option and calling is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help.