Law enforcement agencies in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas were faced with a chaotic situation as major 911 outages swept through these states, rendering millions unable to reach emergency services on Wednesday night.
The outage, which affected multiple states, was reported late in the evening, forcing authorities to scramble to restore communication lines with the public. While the exact cause of these outages remains unknown, they occurred shortly after a warning from the Department of Homeland Security about potential disruptions to 911 services during the transition to internet-based systems.
The Federal Communications Commission acknowledged the reports of 911-related outages and confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the root cause of the widespread communication breakdown.
Not long ago, an incident involving a major cellular carrier resulted in service disruptions across several states, including interruptions to 911 calls for an extended period. The carrier attributed the problem to a procedural error, dismissing the likelihood of a cyberattack.
Local news outlets in South Dakota were the first to report a statewide 911 outage, prompting Rapid City police to provide alternative phone numbers for residents to contact first responders. Service was gradually restored in the region after approximately two hours of disruption.
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety reassured the public that texting to 911 was operational in most areas as an alternative means of seeking emergency assistance amid the service outage.
In Nevada, authorities issued alerts indicating a 911 outage, advising residents to use mobile devices to dial 911 since landlines were not functional. Dispatchers were able to receive mobile calls and promptly returned all calls made during the outage, ensuring that assistance was provided where needed.
In Nebraska, the Chase County Sheriff’s Office informed the public that 911 services were down across the entire state for most cellular carriers except T-Mobile. Landlines remained the only reliable contact point for reaching emergency services during the outage.
Meanwhile, the Del Rio Police Department in Texas clarified that the issue stemmed from a carrier problem and not a fault in the city’s own systems, leaving many residents without recourse to 911 services for a brief period.
NBC News and CBS News have reached out to major cellphone carriers for statements regarding the recent 911 outages, highlighting the importance of ensuring rapid response and resolution to such critical communication failures.
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