T-Mobile customers in Allegheny County can text 911

T-Mobile customers in Allegheny County can now send text messages to 911.

The cellular phone service provider is the second in the county to offer the service. Verizon was the first, on May 14.

The county cautioned residents to text only when calling 911 is not an option.

The county's 911 dispatch center has received 57 text messages since May 14.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has said that the county is open to working with all cellular carriers to offer texting to 911. When asked on Monday, Sprint and AT&T did not give specific plans on when texting to 911 would be available to their customers in Allegheny County.