Troubleshooting in the works for 911 system problems
Troubleshooting is underway to resolve ongoing, statewide issues with NextGen software that has led to some 911 calls not getting through to dispatchers.
Randy Padfield, director of the state emergency management agency, said in a news conference that the setbacks with the software are sporadic, meaning a majority of 911 calls are still going through.
“The system continues to have some intermittent connectivity issues at this point in time,” Padfield said.
These include failing to get across location data or number data, which Padfield said is unusual for the robust NextGen system.
For the time being, potential callers are to follow the instructions of the local 911 center. For Butler County, the center is instructing residents to bypass 911 and call 724-282-1221.
The cause of the software problems has yet to be identified and it is too early to tell if the glitches are due to software or hardware issues, Padfield said. There is currently no information on how many callers have been affected.
Padfield said worried residents should not test call 911, as it would add to the complications.
“Our goal is to get this resolved in the shortest amount of time possible,” Padfield said.
