On July 11, an emergency alert was sent out across Pennsylvania, notifying residents of an intermittent outage affecting the 911 emergency response system. The alert indicated that individuals encountering difficulties when trying to reach 911 should instead contact their local 911 centers using non-emergency phone lines.
Reports indicated that the alert was received in various regions, including Beaver County in the west and York County in southcentral Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) emphasized the importance of using 911 only for genuine emergencies and advised residents against calling solely to confirm if the system was operational. Guidance was provided for residents to locate their local 911 office at readypa.info/psaps.
In York County, local officials confirmed on social media that while 911 was experiencing disruptions, calls were being redirected to non-emergency numbers, which could result in delays in response times. At this point, the state has not disclosed the cause of the outage or an estimated time frame for resolving the issues.
This situation highlights the critical nature of emergency services and the need for clear communication during times of disruption. While the ongoing issues may cause concern, the prompt alerts and alternative contact options provided by local emergency management agencies demonstrate their commitment to public safety.