Staff Reports
Late Wednesday night, some states had issues connecting to their emergency dispatchers, preventing people from calling 911 for help. This problem affected parts of Nebraska, Texas, Nevada, and the whole of South Dakota. Fortunately, according to CBS News, the problem was fixed around midnight.
Massive 911 Outage Hits Nebraska, Texas, Nevada and South Dakota: REPORT https://t.co/2mMOqN64rp . #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/udu2f5NvL7
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) April 18, 2024
In Texas, the Del Rio Police Department explained on Facebook that a cell carrier was the cause of the problem. They didn’t name the carrier responsible for the outage. They assured residents that even though there was trouble reaching 911 due to the carrier issue, the city’s emergency services were still up and running.
On the other hand, in Las Vegas and Henderson County, Nevada, officials mentioned they couldn’t see the details of incoming 911 calls, but they could view the phone numbers and were promptly returning the calls.
Even though the full impact of this situation is not yet clear, officials shared with CBS News that they managed to respond to all the attempted 911 calls. Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) acknowledged the problem on Twitter and said they are looking into the 911-related outages.
It is vital for emergency services to function smoothly and be readily available for everyone in need. Hopefully, steps will be taken to prevent such disruptions in the future and ensure that the 911 system remains reliable for all Americans.
