Six months into the program's launch, only a handful of people in North Dakota are texting for help. However it seems that dispatch centers would still prefer people to call 911 for help.
North Dakota launched its very own text-savvy emergency tool, but pretty quietly.
Many people in the metro don't even know there's a new way to "dial" in.
In the program's first six months, the dispatch center only receives 20 texts per month.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dispatch centers found that people are still more comfortable, in emergency situations, to speak with a person rather than text.
The feature was originally designed with the deaf and hard of hearing in mind, but the dispatch centers say most people who text aren't from that community.
It might become the new thing. Texting 911 could be more popular than calling 911.
Dispatch centers are saying that picking up the phone and dialing 911 should still be option one.
Red River Dispatch takes the majority of text messages in North Dakota.
Their area covers around 600,000 people across the state.
