This summer, St. Louis County launched its new Text to 911 service, allowing county residents in an emergency to text dispatchers if calling is unsafe.

It’s simple: just type 911 where you would normally type a phone number, and your text will be sent to any dispatcher on the call-taking side. This service is available to all St. Louis County unincorporated areas and municipalities.

“It’s new, but this is an invaluable resource,” said Lauren Nauman, a county communications administrative specialist.

Nauman said it is always best to dial 911 and call if possible, as texting takes longer and it is more difficult for dispatchers to ask questions, but for the hearing-impaired or people who are in a situation where it is dangerous to speak — like a home intrusion, Nauman used as an example — texting can be a new resource. She repeated the tagline: “Call if you can, text if you can’t.”

Those using the Text to 911 service must remember to include their location and the type of emergency in their text. The address is the most important part, according to Nauman, but the type of emergency is helpful for officer safety. Nauman also emphasized the importance of situational awareness: knowing the highway you’re traveling on and/or the cardinal direction you’re heading in can be vital in emergency scenarios.

“I know it’s 2025, and we’re all very reliant on cell phones and GPS to tell us where we’re going and how we’re getting there,” Nauman said. “But it’s a very good idea to have a handle on (situational) details, in the event that you would have to call us.”

The service officially launched on June 17, and dispatchers and county staff have been getting used to the change over the course of the summer.

“We don’t want to transition from the way we’ve been doing things, with the physical 911 calls, but we are excited to have this extra opportunity,” Nauman said. “It’s about time it finally made its way to us.”