Texting 911 instead of calling in an emergency is now an option in Ada County. The Ada County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook this morning that while the text option is available it should not be a first resort. Calling 911 when able is still the best and most effective way to get in touch with an emergency responder when needed.

About two years ago the Ada County dispatchers moved into a new state-of-the-art center and are finally at a point where the additional 911 contact option is feasible. In the social media post they go to great lengths to point out that calling 911 is the best option. If you are in the Boise area and need to send an emergency text you'll need to include the emergency and details about where the emergency is taking place. The new text 911 feature does not allow for sending and receiving of media, so you can't send pictures or video of the accident or other emergency situation.

There are obvious times when using the text option makes sense so don't be afraid to use it if needed. We've all seen the movies where the person is in a house with an intruder and has to call 911 but doesn't want to talk and make sound. That seems like a perfect situation to text.

Currently the text 911 feature is only available around Boise in the Ada County area. Would you like to see the text 911 ability come to the Magic Valley?

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