911 Texting Now Okay In Pinellas County

Pinellas County residents who have been waiting for this can now have peace of mind. You can now text 911 in an emergency. Although, authorities say that they still prefer that you call if you can talk.

Channel 8 says they ask you to NOT send photos, video or emojis and avoid using any kind of slang.  I'm certain any extra stuff such a videos or pictures may delay response time. So they ask that you just include your address and a description of your emergency. For now at least, the texting service is only available in English.

Pinellas County includes these cities:

Baskin, Bellair, Bellair Beach, Boca Ciega, Clearwater, Crystal Beach, Dunedin, East Lealman, East Lake, Feather Sound, Gandy, Gulfport, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Largo, Madeira Beach, Oldsmar, Ozona, Palm Harbor, Pass-A-Grille Beach, Pinellas Park, Redington Shores, Ridgecrest, Safety Harbor, Seminole, South Highpoint, South Pasadena, St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs, Tierra Verde, Treasure Island, and West Lealman.