RI E-911 Working Again: State Police

SCITUATE, RI—The state says the emergency 911 has been restored. Technical difficulties caused problems for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning. Everything was working again by 10:15 a.m. According to Laura Meade Kirk, spokeswoman for the public safety department, the cause of the problem is yet to be determined, but officials suspect it was a software issue.

During the trouble, people calling 911 could be heard, but they could not hear the replies. They were called back on landlines, however. In all, 36 people were affected.

The explanation did not satisfy two Smith Hill lawmakers, however. Rep. Robert B. Lancia (R-Dist. 16, Cranston) said,“This is completely unacceptable. Our citizens depend on the 911 system to be there for them in the event of an emergency and today it let them down. We must accept that Rhode Island has a serious problem that must be addressed and that starts with ending the diversion of funds intended for 911. The additional money could be used to upgrade software or install backup systems to ensure that our telecommunicators are never left in this situation again.”

State Rep. Robert Nardolillo III (R-Dist. 28 Coventry) also said the malfunction should not have happened. This time should be the last time people are left without 911.