Shawnee County residents can now text 911 during an emergency

Shawnee County residents can now text 911 if there is an emergency, although an official said voice calls remain the top choice.

The new NextGen 911 system was installed earlier this week at the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center.

Melanie Bergers, director of the Emergency Communications Center, said the new system will provide a lot of benefits to residents and dispatchers.

The new system gives people calling 911 the ability to send a text message to 911 as long as the sender has a data plan and the cellphone isn’t in roaming status.

Bergers said the system can be effective in situations where a voice call may endanger a caller, such as in domestic violence incidents or in reporting of human trafficking.

NextGen911 also has the capability to pinpoint the caller’s location on a map.

The system also gives community members who are hearing impaired the opportunity to communicate more effectively with dispatchers.