For Immediate Release

Text-to-911 Service is Now Available in Carroll County.

April 24, 2026—Effective today, our 911 call center at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting text messages via Text-to-911 service.

Customers of wireless carriers who are enrolled in their carriers’ text messaging and/or data plan can send text messages to 911 in an emergency when they are unable to place a phone call. This includes those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, those who may find themselves in a situation where placing a voice call could put them in danger, or those who are experiencing a medical emergency and are unable to speak.

“We are pleased to officially launch Text-to-911 service here in Carroll County,” said Director of 911 Matt Magill. “While a phone call is still the preferred way to contact 911, the ability to send a text message to 911 gives residents and visitors, particularly those who may have difficulty placing a voice call, better access to emergency services.”

If you require emergency services and are unable to place a phone call, you can enter 911 in the “To” line of a new text message and begin your message with the location of the emergency and the type of help needed—Police, Fire, or Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Once the message has been received at the 911 call center, a public safety telecommunicator will respond. You should be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions.

Additional tips for using Text-to-911 service:

  • As with all text messages, messages to 911 may take longer to receive, may be received out of order, and/or may not be received at all
  • If Text-to-911 service is not available, you will receive a bounce-back message from your carrier telling you to place a phone or relay call instead
  • Photos and videos cannot be received by 911 call centers
  • Limited translation services may be available in your area
  • Keep text messages short and simple, and avoid using slang or abbreviations
  • Including an additional contact in your text message may prevent it from being received by 911
  • Call if you can, text if you can’t
Text to 911

Text-to-911 FAQ

Text-to-911 is the ability to send text messages from your mobile phone to local 911 call centers in an emergency if you are unable to place a phone call.

In Illinois, residents and visitors who are enrolled in their carrier’s text and/or data plan can use Text-to-911. If Text-to-911 service is not available, users will receive a bounce-back message telling them to place a phone or relay call.

There are many significant benefits to Text-to-911, especially in cases when the caller cannot communicate verbally. For example, Text-to-911 is extremely useful for those who are hard of hearing, Deaf, or speech-impaired. Text-to-911 can also help in situations when a crime is in process; the caller is facing domestic abuse; the caller is injured and cannot speak; or other scenarios.

Text-to-911 is now available statewide to all residents and visitors in Illinois. If the service is not available in a certain area, or if temporarily unavailable, users will receive a bounce back message telling them to place a phone or relay call to request emergency service.

A phone call is still the preferred method for contacting 911 even when Text-to-911 is available.

Text-to-911 is intended for use in three primary scenarios:

  • For individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability
  • For someone in a situation where it may be unsafe to place a voice call to 911
  • For an individual who is experiencing a medical emergency and may be unable to speak

Call if you can, text if you can’t.

Wireless carriers will provide Text-to-911 services in the format requested by local 911 call centers, e.g., through TTY, through Internet Protocol (IP), or other technologies. The carriers will provision the service based on the call centers’ requests.

Text-to-911 service in Illinois is supported by many of today’s wireless carriers. Users must be enrolled in a text and/or data plan to text 911 and can contact their provider to confirm access to the service.

Text-to-911, like all text messaging, is not without challenges. It may take longer for text messages to 911 to be received and responded to. Text messages to 911 also may be received out of order and do not include the same location information as a voice or relay call. When texting 911, it’s important to remember to include the location of the emergency in the initial message.

Additionally, 911 centers cannot receive pictures or videos via text message. Messages should be short and use simple language.

Text messaging is one of the primary ways people communicate today, particularly young people, members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, and those with speech disabilities. Statistics have shown that there are billions of SMS and MMS messages sent every day in the United States. The 911 community is constantly striving to meet the evolving needs of the public, and right now that means implementing Text-to-911 solutions.

While Text-to-911 does have some limitations and challenges, the ability to text 911 in an emergency when someone may be unable to place a phone call has the potential to save many more lives.