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A recent 9-1-1 system outage in Dutchess County has exposed a significant backup issue with Verizon's network. On July 15, a truck severed several hundred feet of phone lines, causing the primary 9-1-1 system to go offline. The system's backup, designed to automatically reroute calls through Verizon's fiber optic lines, failed to activate as expected.
County officials quickly notified the public via social media and Mid-Hudson News, providing alternate phone numbers for emergency calls. During the outage, the 911 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system remained operational, and dispatchers managed nearly 100 calls through seven-digit lines, which is the typical call volume for that time period.
Verizon repaired the primary lines after several hours, and the company is investigating the switch failure that caused the backup system to malfunction. Dutchess County officials are collaborating with Verizon's 911 system engineers to address the issue and prevent future occurrences.
This incident highlights the importance of reliable backup systems for emergency services, especially as reported by Mid-Hudson News. Verizon is committed to restoring service quickly and ensuring that such disruptions do not happen again.