Massachusetts experienced a statewide outage of the emergency 911 service for over an hour on Tuesday afternoon. Authorities urged residents to call local police department numbers instead. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu confirmed the outage during a press conference and advised residents with emergencies to contact the police or fire department directly. The outage was resolved after over an hour, and emergency services were restored.
The State 911 Department acknowledged the disruption and also requested residents to use direct lines
“This could be very temporary, and we’re waiting to hear about how long it will last,” stated Police Commissioner and Chief of Boston Police Michael Cox during a press conference. “We thought it was important, particularly with the heat, to inform people about the situation.” The Boston Fire Department issued a statement for alternative assistance:
“The current 911 system is down statewide. If you have an emergency and need assistance, pull your nearest Fire Box, or call the Boston Fire Department at 617-343-2880. You can also seek help by going to your nearest Firehouse,” the post read.
The State 911 Department acknowledged the disruption and also requested residents to use direct lines for their local police for emergencies only, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security on X.
CNN reported that residents received a public safety alert on their phones indicating that 911 services were down statewide, potentially causing delays in public safety response. “CALL local Public Safety business line directly if you or others are having an emergency. More information will be provided when available,” the alert read.
Here are some important contacts:
Local Police or Fire Department Numbers: Many towns and cities have their own non-emergency numbers for their police and fire departments.
Boston Police Department: (617) 343-4333
Worcester Police Department: (508) 799-8611
State Police: You can call the Massachusetts State Police barracks closest to you. Find contact information for your local barracks https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-state-police/locations
Regional Dispatch Centers: Some areas of Massachusetts have regional dispatch centers that handle emergency calls for multiple communities. You can find contact information for these centers online.
Regional Old Colony Communications Center: (781) 934-1553
The cause of the 911 outage was not immediately known. The disruption in Massachusetts confused other northeastern states, with some residents receiving notifications on their phones. However, authorities in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York confirmed their systems were operational. Several years ago, Massachusetts experienced sporadic 911 outages, which were attributed to outages from Louisiana-based CenturyLink, affecting some Verizon customers.