Denver rolls out new 911 programs, including texting

Calling 911 is not just for "calling" anymore. You can now text 911 for any emergency within the Denver area.

City leaders unveiled the program as part of their "911Now" expansion to the city's service. It's meant to ease communication between first responders and those having an emergency.

Denver mayor Michael Hancock cited examples such as those with a hearing impairment, or in an emergency where a call is not possible for reasons behind the texting service.

It's already been up and running as part of a pilot program for months. Now the text to 911 service is being publicized for city-wide use. City leaders say a call is always better, if possible, since the location accuracy is better, but this gives people more options.

Two other 911 related programs are also now available as part of the initiative. 911Smart is a voluntary pre-registration program where your information, such as address and medical history, is stored and comes up whenever you call 911.

911Swift is a push notification service that allows the city to send you a heads up if there is flooding, power outages, road closures or other emergencies.

Denver received more than a million 911 calls last year.