MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - People in Macon County will soon be able to send texts to 911 in emergency situations. 

Starting on June 1, 2021, officials said citizens will be able to directly text 911 from cell phones, with service available on all four major carriers. This includes AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.

Should service be down or not available, a person will get a bounce-back message telling them to make a voice call. Voice calls are still preferred, but the option is available if calling is not possible or unsafe. 

A person sending a text to 911 should not use abbreviations. The most important thing to include is the location of the emergency. 

Translations for texts in Spanish can be done through an online translation service if they are needed. 

The Macon County Emergency Telephone System is making the text to 911 service possible at no cost to users. 

Anyone with questions can contact Desir'ee Wright  the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center by calling (217)424-1078.