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You can now text 911 in Loudon County during an emergency

"Voice is always preferred, but texting is there for the times it's just not possible," said the E-911 center director.

LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — Anyone can now text 911 if you live in Loudon County. It took the E-911 center two years to give people the option. 

The texting program started at the beginning of April, and it adds a new level of safety for the county.  

"It's an expectation now with all the technology that's out there," said Loudon County E-911 director Jennifer White. 

Staff were trained one the program before the pandemic, which allowed the county to roll out the feature on schedule. 

White said one of the main reasons to create the program was to better serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

"We have telecommunication devices for the deaf we've been able to communicate with for many years, but they have surpassed us in technology," she said.

She also said the program will help people when they truly can't call 911, since they may not be able to comfortably speak on the phone. 

There are some differences between calling and texting. 

"It's not as accurate as a voice call on location, unfortunately, but it is fairly accurate," said White. 

Seconds matter if someone is calling 911, so she said callers should try to include as much information as possible and try not to use slang or abbreviations. 

Texts come through the same delivery method as a 911 call does. From there, dispatchers will respond and send the help that's necessary.

"Voice is always preferred, but the text program is there for the times it's just not possible," she said.

Through COVID-19, White said their operations have adapted day by day. She said calls and texts to 911 continue to remain low as staff focus on practicing social distancing and maintaining a safe workspace.

"We're learning as we go and making sure we're meeting the needs of our citizens at the same time," she said.

More counties are adding the option to text 911 every year. Blount County said it will soon have the option available. It's still not available in Knox County.

If you were to text 911 and it wasn't available in your county, you'd get a text back immediately. Anyone who misuses 911, whether through a call or a text, will face the same penalties.

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