Issues with Pennsylvania’s 911 System
Pennsylvania officials announced on Friday that the state is facing problems with its 911 emergency response system. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) stated, “We’ve experienced intermittent outages throughout the state.” They advised anyone having difficulties reaching 911 to contact their local 911 center if it’s not an emergency and to check county social media for updates.
During a press conference, PEMA Director Randy Padfield highlighted these intermittent issues, noting problems began around 2 PM when some calls were not going through. PEMA’s 911 team immediately started investigating to determine the underlying cause as part of routine practice.
Padfield mentioned that a conference bridge line has been set up connecting all public safety response points. Since several counties reported similar issues without identifying the cause, he said they sent statewide emergency messages to inform the public about the ongoing problems.
Currently, the team is working with public safety response points and 911 service providers as they monitor the situation, although intermittent connectivity remains a challenge. Padfield reassured that the majority of calls are getting through and encouraged Pennsylvanians in need to continue using 911.
If someone can’t connect, he advised using a backup seven-digit management line or following directions from their local emergency contact. However, he stressed that people shouldn’t call 911 just to see if it’s operational. “Testing the system and hanging up is treated as an abandoned call,” he explained, urging public cooperation while they work to resolve the issues.
Despite the complications, Padfield did mention the “robust” redundancy in the next-generation 911 system, which has worked effectively during severe weather events in the past.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed that he has been updated by PEMA regarding the 911 suspensions affecting parts of the state and expressed the importance of resolving the situation promptly.
