Plano City Council Approves Upgrade for 911 System to Receive Text Messages

The Plano 911 system will soon be able to receive text messages

What to Know

  • Calling 911 will still be preferred, but texting could help people with disabilities or if the caller would jeopardize safety by talking
  • The upgrade will cost the city $350,000
  • Texting 911 is still far from being available everywhere in North Texas

People in the City of Plano will be able to text 911 as of this summer.

Plano council members approved a $350,000 upgrade to the 911 system Monday night which will allow it to receive text messages.

Calling 911 will still be preferred, according to Susan Rodriguez who works in Public Safety Communications for the City of Plano. Texting in the event of emergency could be a life-saving option for people who are either deaf or hard of hearing, or for people who are in a situation where speaking could further jeopardize their safety, according to Rodriguez.

Texting 911 is still far from being available everywhere in North Texas. For example, you cannot text 911 in the City of Dallas or anywhere in Tarrant County, according to the regional emergency management organization NCT 911.

Here is a comprehensive list of where the texting service is available, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments:

Collin County: excluding the cities of Plano, Richardson and Wylie

Dallas County: includes only the cities of Balch Springs, Cockrell Hill, Sachse, Seagoville and Wilmer

Denton County

Erath County

Ellis County: excluding the cities of Ennis, Glenn Heights and Mansfield

Hood County

Hunt County

Johnson County: excluding the cities of Burleson and Mansfield

Kaufman County

Navarro County

Palo Pinto County

Parker County: excluding the city of Azle

Rockwall County

Somervell County

Wise County

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