Text-to-911 starts in Grant County

A new service allowing those in Grant County to Text 911, officially launched Thursday.

The Multi-Agency Communications Center says the new tool is intended for those with hearing or speech impairments, areas with poor cell coverage or if you feel speaking puts you in danger.

Jackie Jones with the Multi-Agency Communications Center says they are excited about using this tool and hope it will be used for what it is intended for.

“By educating the public of what this service means, and what it is intended for, that hopefully people will not abuse it,” says Jones.

Jones adds that the service does have several limitations and calling should always be the first priority.

Grant County is one of the first eastern Washington counties to offer this service. There are currently 8 counties in Washington that offer the service.