By JASON TIDD

Staff writer

County residents will soon be able to send texts to 911 in emergencies. Most of the state already has the service after it launched Nov. 2 in more than 70 Kansas counties Marion County is on a “coming soon” list.

“They will be installed sometime after the first of the year,” said Lori Alexander, 911 liaison for the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council. “We are still working on the schedule and do not have an exact date for their 911 center at this time.  We have several other installs ahead of them.”

Butler, Chase, Harvey, McPherson, and Morris counties have the service, while Dickinson and Saline counties do not. Texting 911 is expected to benefit deaf, hard-of-hearing callers, individuals with a speech disability, and callers who are unable to speak due to a medical or other condition.

Emergency situations that would put a caller in danger if making a voice call — including abduction, domestic violence, or active shooter situation — are also appropriate times to text 911.

When implemented, the service will be available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless and requires an active telephone service plan with data to work.