New Yorkers in need of police, paramedics or firefighters will be able to text 911 for help by early 2018, city officials announced Tuesday,
The service has been around since 2009. New York City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications put out a request this week for vendors to assist in building the necessary technology to support the infrastructure.
“Our number one priority is keeping New Yorkers safe, and developing the strongest, most state-of-the-art 911 system is essential to that mission,” said First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris. “In the 21st century, that means ensuring that New Yorkers who need to communicate with 911 can do more than make a phone call—we want to give them the ability to send photos, stream video, and more.”