The ability to text 911 in an emergency is on its way to California.
The state’s Office of Emergency Services is required to lay out a plan and timeline for a Next Generation 911 system under Senate Bill 1211, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown Tuesday.
The Next Generation 911 includes the text-to-911 innovation, which officials say will be help hearing-impaired users or those who are afraid to talk in the midst of an emergency.
The Federal Communications Commission ordered all wireless carriers to enable their customers to text 911 by the end of 2014. The big four carriers — AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile — agreed in May to support the emergency texts in all areas where they can be received at 911 call centers, known as "public safety answering points."
However, California’s dispatch centers have not purchased or installed the upgrades needed to receive those messages.
As directed by SB 1211, the Office of Emergency Services will develop target dates for testing, implementing and operating the Next Generation 911 system throughout California. The office must also calculate and report the estimated cost of such an endeavor.
When the system is incorporated, California will join 18 other states that have enabled text-to-911 in various counties.
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Officials tested out the texting system earlier this year with the help of police departments in Downey, Arcadia and California State University Long Beach.
Even after text-to-911 is enabled, law enforcement agencies say they want residents to use it only in special circumstances. A phone call will still be the preferred method.
