INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) – Students, faculty and visitors to Indiana's college campuses can now send text messages to 911 dispatchers during emergencies if they're unable to speak to those dispatchers.

Indiana Statewide 911 Board director Barry Ritter says the use of text-to-911 has been expanded to both public and private campuses in collaboration with local emergency dispatch centers.

Ritter says the board is launching a campaign to educate college students about the new 911-texting option but emphasizes that calling 911 remains best in an emergency.

Board members will visit Purdue University on Oct. 7, Ball State University on Oct. 9 and Indiana University on Oct. 16 to tout the new service.

A federal order requires all wireless carriers and text-messaging providers to allow users to send texts to local 911 dispatchers by year's end.