IMPACT ON THE 911 SYSTEM, BECAUSE THAT WAS BIG. WE ARE JOINED ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW BY DIRECTOR MARK DOYLE OF THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS. MARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF ALL OF THIS? YEAH. GOOD MORNING KATHERINE. GOOD MORNING, SEAN, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS MORNING. RIGHT NOW, CALLERS ARE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO REACH NEW HAMPSHIRE’S 911 SYSTEM FOLLOWING A TEMPORARY INTERRUPTION, WHICH WE BELIEVE TO BE CAUSED BY A SOFTWARE VENDOR. AND THIS HAPPENED JUST AFTER 1 A.M. WHEN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S 911 TELECOMMUNICATORS REPORTED THAT THEY, THE INCOMING 911 CALLS ON THEIR SYSTEM, BUT WERE UNABLE TO CANCEL THOSE CALLS. CALLS THAT WERE INITIALLY UNABLE TO BE ANSWERED WERE QUICKLY RETURNED TO ENSURE 911 CALLERS RECEIVED THE HELP THAT THEY NEEDED. WE WERE ABLE TO ABSOLUTELY QUICKLY BACK UP PROCESS PUT IN PLACE AND IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED, AND AS OF 3:00 OR 330 THIS MORNING, CALLS AND TEXTS TO 911 WERE BEING RECEIVED AS NORMAL ON NEW HAMPSHIRE’S 911 BACKUP SYSTEM. WE’RE CURRENTLY FULLY OPERATIONAL ON OUR PRIMARY 911 SYSTEM. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE THE BACKUP SYSTEMS ON STANDBY IF NEEDED. AND AS A REMINDER, AS YOU HAD MENTIONED, I WILL WANT YOU TO DIAL IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY AND RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ARE ASKED NOT TO MAKE ANY CALLS FOR FEAR THAT IT MAY OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM. THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS HERE AT 911 IS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR INTERRUPTION, AND WE’LL CERTAINLY BE PROVIDING FURTHER UPDATES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. MARK, WHILE WE HAVE YOU HERE, CAN YOU GIVE IT AGAIN? GIVE US AN IDEA HOW LONG IT WAS OUT FOR EARLY THIS MORNING. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY CALLS CAME IN DURING THAT SPAN OF TIME? WE DO. WE ACTUALLY BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE 49 CALLS OR SEE 49 CALLS COMING IN ON THE SYSTEM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN CALLS TO ALL 49 OF THOSE CALLERS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT THEY WERE REQUESTING. AND SO, MARK, ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED THAT ANY OF THOSE CALLS WERE MISSED OR THAT ANYONE CAN’T GET THROUGH RIGHT NOW TO 911? IS THAT A CONCERN OR ARE PEOPLE BEING SERVICED AS THEY NEED RIGHT NOW? PEOPLE ARE BEING SERVICED AS THEY AS THEY NEED TO BE SERVICED. WE’RE BEING ABLE TO DO ALL THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO DO PRIOR TO THIS OUTAGE. WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE AND CONNECT PEOPLE IN AN EMERGENCY WITH THE THE EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, AND WE’RE ABLE TO TRANSFER THOSE CALLS TO OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS SO THAT THEY CAN PROVISION FIRE, POLICE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AS NEEDED. ALL RIGHT. MARK DOYLE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS, GIVING US AN UPDATE THERE. AGAIN, THOUGH, THE SYSTEM IS RUNNING ON A BACKUP SYSTEM, THEY ARE TAKING 911 CALLS NOW AND DO NOT CALL THERE UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY. YOU DON’T NEED TO CALL AND TEST IT. YEAH, THAT’S SOME REALLY GOOD ADVICE.
911 call centers in some US states impacted by global technology outage
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Updated: 11:10 AM CDT Jul 19, 2024
Officials in some U.S. states, including Alaska, Virginia and Iowa, warned of problems with 911 emergency call centers in their areas due to the global technology outage on Friday.Alaska State Troopers warned that many 911 and nonemergency call centers across the state weren't working correctly and shared alternate numbers.Video above: New Hampshire emergency official talks about overnight 911 outageIn Virginia, the City of Fairfax Police Department said on social media that it was experiencing technical difficulties with its phone systems, including 911. The department shared a nonemergency number for callers and said 911 could still be used, but calls wouldn't go directly to the dispatch center.The New Hampshire Emergency Services and Communications reported a temporary interruption to 911 calls early Friday, with the system fully restored several hours later, officials said.In Iowa, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office warned on social media that phone lines were down and 911 calls might be routed to neighboring counties, but emergency calls would be promptly redirected to the sheriff’s office.In New England, the outage led some hospitals to cancel appointments.Video above: Surgeries, non-emergent procedures canceled at Boston hospitalA spokesman at Mass General Brigham, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, said the outage had canceled all scheduled non-urgent surgeries, procedures and medical visits for Friday.Emergency departments remain open, and care for patients in the hospital hasn't been impacted.
Officials in some U.S. states, including Alaska, Virginia and Iowa, warned of problems with 911 emergency call centers in their areas due to the global technology outage on Friday.
Alaska State Troopers warned that many 911 and nonemergency call centers across the state weren't working correctly and shared alternate numbers.
Video above: New Hampshire emergency official talks about overnight 911 outage
In Virginia, the City of Fairfax Police Department said on social media that it was experiencing technical difficulties with its phone systems, including 911. The department shared a nonemergency number for callers and said 911 could still be used, but calls wouldn't go directly to the dispatch center.
The New Hampshire Emergency Services and Communications reported a temporary interruption to 911 calls early Friday, , officials said.
In Iowa, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office warned on social media that phone lines were down and 911 calls might be routed to neighboring counties, but emergency calls would be promptly redirected to the sheriff’s office.
In New England, the outage led some hospitals to cancel appointments.
Video above: Surgeries, non-emergent procedures canceled at Boston hospital
, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, said the outage had canceled all scheduled non-urgent surgeries, procedures and medical visits for Friday.
Emergency departments remain open, and care for patients in the hospital hasn't been impacted.
