911 outage affecting several valley communities
UPDATE: 5:30 - Palm Springs 9-1-1 service restored
UPDATE: 4:30 - Cathedral City 9-1-1 service restored
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, California (KESQ) - 911 lines are down in several Coachella Valley communities.
The Desert Hot Springs Police Department announced that 911 phone lines are currently down in Desert Hot Springs.
They made the announcement Thursday morning on social media.
The post said, "Our 911 phone lines are currently down. Please call our non-emergency line to be connected with a dispatcher at (760)329-2904, then press #2. Thank you for your patience as we resolve this issue."
In Palm Springs, the city released a statement, “Attention: Our 911 system is currently encountering problems. Callers may either receive a busy signal or reach another police jurisdiction. We are actively working with our service provider to restore it, though the exact timeline is currently unknown. Our dispatch center should be able to identify callers and return their calls. In the meantime, if you have an emergency in Palm Springs and get a busy signal, please TEXT 911 or call 760-323-8116 #1. We will update the community as soon as service is restored.”
Palm Springs Police added to the statement, saying it could be related to another theft out in Bloomington. The last outage was related to the same thing.
California Highway Patrol in Indio told us their local 911 lines are down, but they are still receiving calls through another communication center. Calls are coming into inland communication center and being forwarded to Indio CHP.
The Cathedral City Police Department also released a statement.
"CCPD received notification our 911 system is down, and callers may receive a busy signal.
We are working with our service provider to restore it, though the exact timeline is currently unknown. If you have an emergency, please text 911 or call our business line at 760-770-0303 and a dispatcher will immediately assist you. We will update the community as soon as service is restored. Thank you for your patience and understanding."
The Riverside County sheriff's office responded to News Channel 3 saying, "Verizon is having service issues; however, callers can still contact the Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch through 911."
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
