911 outage – Pennsylvania experiencing problems with 911 calls statewide

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A widespread technical issue is disrupting 911 emergency services across Pennsylvania, leaving residents unable to reach dispatchers in critical situations. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) confirmed the outage Friday but has not yet identified the cause or estimated when full service will be restored.

Officials are urging residents who cannot connect to 911 to instead call their local emergency center’s non-emergency line. While some calls in Philadelphia are reportedly going through, city authorities advise callers to keep attempting 911 for true emergencies—but stress that people should not call simply to test if the system is working.

County-Specific Non-Emergency Numbers

For those affected by the outage, here are the direct contact numbers for emergency services in the Greater Philadelphia region: 911 outage

• Berks County: 610-655-4911
• Bucks County: 215-328-8500
• Chester County: 610-436-4700
• Delaware County: 610-565-6575
• Lehigh County: 610-437-5252 or 610-437-7751
• Montgomery County: 610-635-4300
• Northampton County: 610-759-2200

Philadelphia Residents: Contact Local Police Districts

Philadelphia officials are directing residents to reach out to their nearest police district if 911 fails. A full list of district contact numbers is available at PhillyPolice.com, but key numbers include: 911 outage

• 1st District: 215-686-3010 / 215-686-3011
• 2nd District: 215-686-3020 / 215-686-3021
• 3rd District: 215-686-3030 / 215-686-3031
• 5th District: 215-686-3050 / 215-686-3051
• 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 35th, 39th Districts: Similar format (215-686-3XXX)
• 77th District (Airport): 215-937-6816 / 215-937-6817

Officials Advise Caution and Patience

PEMA is asking residents to monitor their county’s official social media and websites for real-time updates. The agency has not confirmed whether the outage is due to a technical malfunction, cyber incident, or another cause.

This is a developing story, and further details will be shared as they become available. Residents are reminded to only use emergency lines for urgent situations to avoid overwhelming the system.

For additional updates, check with local authorities or follow PEMA’s announcements.

Authorities Scramble to Restore 911 Service Amid Widespread Outage -911 outage

Pennsylvania officials are working urgently to restore full 911 functionality after a sudden statewide outage left millions of residents without reliable emergency access. The disruption, which began Friday morning, has created significant challenges for first responders and emergency personnel across the Commonwealth.

PEMA spokesperson Ruth Miller confirmed that technicians are investigating multiple potential causes, including possible network failures, power disruptions, or cybersecurity issues. “We’re treating this with the highest priority,” Miller said. “Every available resource is being deployed to identify and resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”

The outage comes at a particularly vulnerable time for the region, with summer thunderstorms forecasted for parts of Pennsylvania this weekend. Emergency management teams have activated backup protocols, including increased staffing at dispatch centers and coordination with neighboring states’ emergency systems.

In Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel urged calm but advised residents to take extra precautions. “If you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency and can’t get through to 911, proceed to your nearest hospital, fire station, or police precinct if possible,” Bethel said.

Some cellular providers appear to be affected differently, with Verizon customers reporting more connectivity issues than AT&T users in preliminary reports. This has led to speculation about potential carrier-specific problems, though officials stress the investigation is ongoing.

The last major statewide 911 outage in Pennsylvania occurred in 2020 during a severe winter storm. Current recovery efforts are being complicated by the system’s complexity, which involves multiple vendors and overlapping technologies across 67 counties.

As technicians work through the night, officials remind residents that false 911 calls during an outage can have deadly consequences by tying up limited working lines. They suggest checking on elderly neighbors and keeping alternative emergency numbers readily available until full service is restored.

This remains a fluid situation, with PEMA promising hourly updates via their website and social media channels. The Federal Communications Commission has been notified and is monitoring the situation.