Law enforcement agencies in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas faced a major crisis as 911 outages left millions unable to contact authorities late Wednesday. While many of these outages were restored by late evening, the cause remains uncertain. The Department of Homeland Security’s warning of heightened cyberattack risks on 911 services adds another layer of concern as emergency systems move to internet-based platforms.
There is currently no confirmation that the 911 outages were a result of a cyberattack or any malicious activity, according to law enforcement officials. The Federal Communications Commission is actively investigating the reports of 911-related outages. This incident follows a recent widespread AT&T outage that affected multiple states and disrupted emergency calls for hours, highlighting the vulnerability of our emergency communication systems.
In South Dakota, the statewide outage prompted local law enforcement agencies to provide alternative phone numbers for residents to call for first responders. The outage, which lasted for several hours, led to a significant increase in calls for service via open line numbers and texting 911. Emergency responders worked diligently to restore service and bring the system back to full capacity, emphasizing the importance of robust and reliable emergency communication infrastructure.
