New Jersey to become the first state to receive 911 texts

In case of emergency, call 911. But what if calling the cops isn't an option?

Coming soon to Camden County, New Jersey, people will be able to text their distress message to the County Communications Center, in lieu of making a call.

According to NBC10, this next generation 911 system is set to go online in July. It will give youths, who are most comfortable with texting, and the hearing impaired an effective tool for communication. And the system's new mapping feature will be useful in getting emergency aid workers to the location of an accident, whether or not the texter knows their exact location.