Law enforcement agencies in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas were caught off guard by major 911 outages that left millions unable to reach authorities late Wednesday. The outages, which were restored by late evening, raised concerns as they come after a Department of Homeland Security warning about heightened cyberattack risks on 911 services transitioning to internet-based systems. Despite reports of the outages being investigated, there is no evidence so far suggesting a cyberattack or intentional disruption of services. The Federal Communications Commission is looking into the matter.
Local law enforcement agencies in South Dakota experienced a full statewide outage, prompting Rapid City police to provide alternative numbers for residents to call for emergency assistance. In Nevada, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police reported a 911 outage, instructing residents to use mobile devices to reach dispatch. The outage was resolved within a few hours, and officials assured that those who called during the disruption were contacted and assisted. The issue was attributed to problems with wireless carriers in some cases.
Some officials pointed to wireless carriers as the source of the problem, with Sarpy County 911 in Nebraska mentioning issues with specific carriers not being able to reach 911. Del Rio Police in Texas also indicated that the problem stemmed from the carrier rather than internal systems. T-Mobile was identified as the network experiencing coverage outages, impacting T-Mobile customers specifically. While the disruptions were resolved without major incidents, questions remain about the vulnerabilities of 911 services as they transition to digital platforms.