Motorola Solutions, Inc. announced the successful implementation of an Advanced 9-1-1® text-to-911 solution giving callers a new method to contact emergency services in Kershaw County, South Carolina, when voice calling is not an option. Today, less than 4% of dispatch centers in the country are prepared to receive text-to-911, making Kershaw County a leader in the adoption of this new technology. Serving a population of over 62,500 people, Kershaw County is the first agency in South Carolina to implement a fully integrated text-to-911 solution, which enables better communications between first responders and the community, including the hard-of-hearing, speech-impaired and Deaf populations.

Text-to-911 gives the community a way to reach help when a phone call is not practical such as when the caller is hearing or speech impaired, when a medical emergency renders the person incapable of speech or when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger. The Kershaw County 911 dispatchers receive more than 100,000 calls for assistance each year and provide dispatch for one county sheriff department, one emergency medical services (EMS) department, three police departments and 17 fire departments. Motorola Solutions' continued collaboration with Intrado, a highly respected leader in the development and deployment of emergency 911 response solutions and services, in Kershaw County and elsewhere provides the tools to help dispatch centers adopt the next phase of next-generation 911 (NG911) to better protect their communities.