911 Service Down In Dakota County: Here's What To Do In An Emergency

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — The Dakota County Sheriff's Office sent out a civil emergency alert to residents' cell phones across the region Thursday at about 6:40 p.m.

"Dakota County 911 lines are experiencing a service disruption," the alert states. "Working to restore service."

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety suggests the following options to those in the middle of an emergency during a 911 disruption:

Your county has a 10-digit, 24-hour emergency number. Find it here and put it in your cell phone or write it down near your landline. If you can’t get through on 911, use the 10-digit number instead.

Try Text-to-911. In the most recent service disruption, Text-to-911 was operational when voice calls weren’t. (But remember, always call if you can and text if you can’t.)

If you’re with someone whose cell phone has a different carrier, try dialing 911 on it instead. Similarly, if you can get to a landline phone, try that.

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