Pennsylvania residents faced a statewide interruption in their 911 emergency communication system on Friday, prompting officials to issue urgent guidance to the public. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) reported intermittent failures in the state’s emergency communication infrastructure, advising individuals experiencing service issues to use their local county’s non-emergency lines. While the majority of calls appear to be going through in most areas, the issue has led to concerns about the reliability of the 911 system during critical moments.
PEMA Director Randy Padfield confirmed that the problem began around 2 p.m. and that some calls failed to be delivered, resulting in a significant disruption for emergency response. He noted that PEMA’s 911 team has started an immediate investigation to identify the root cause of the issue, which has now led to a statewide Wireless Emergency Alert and emergency alert System message being sent to the public. Despite the disruption, Padfield emphasized that the system has a