Residents with Verizon wireless service can now text emergency information to 911 at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Pella Police Department’s call centers.

Chair of the Marion County 911 Board Marcia Slycord tells KNIA/KRLS News the service is new to Marion County, and allows residents who can’t call 911 to send information directly to law enforcement. Slycord says the county is the 94th of Iowa’s 99 counties to roll out the function.

Verizon is the only carrier to support the service, with no firm timeline to add other wireless providers. Slycord reminds those with the capability to only use the Text-to-911 service for emergencies to keep lines of communication open to make sure help gets to where it is needed the most.