911 call centers in Northampton, Halifax and Bertie counties experience AT&T network issues
TO GET CONGRESS TO CHANGE IT
BEFORE HE COULD REVERSE BIDEN'S
MOVE 3, 9, 1, 1, CALL CENTERS
IN OUR AREA.
>> COULDN'T RECEIVE CALLS
OVERNIGHT. THE ISSUE AND
HALIFAX, NORTHAMPTON AND BERTIE
COUNTIES HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED.
FORTUNATELY, BUT WE'RE GETTING
SOME ANSWERS ABOUT HOW IT
HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE ASKED A COUPLE OF SIMPLE
QUESTIONS. WHAT CAUSED THE
ISSUE FOR WON? HOW FREQUENTLY
DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN
AND HOW DO THEY KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE WHEN IT DIES? WRAL'S HEIDI
KIRK GOT THE ANSWERS TO THOSE
QUESTIONS.
>> THE PHONES ARE RINGING.
24 HOURS A DAY. AND THOSE
9-1-1, CALL CENTERS. BUT IN
3 COUNTIES OVERNIGHT, THEY WERE
QUIET FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS.
IT AFFECTS US TREMENDOUSLY
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY SHERIFF JACK
SMITH GOT THE ALERT THAT HIS
COUNTY, HALIFAX AND BERTIE
COULDN'T GET 9-1-1. CALLS FOR
ABOUT 09:00PM ON SUNDAY TO
02:00AM THIS MORNING. INSTEAD,
CALLS WERE ROUTED THROUGH OTHER
NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, ADDING AN
EXTRA STEP TO GET THE CALLS
THROUGH. PEOPLE LIVES DEPEND
ON IT.
>> IT COULD INVOLVE LIFE AND
DEATH SITUATION THAT TIME.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SAYS IN
A TNT NETWORK ISSUE CAUSED THE
PROBLEM AND THEY'RE STILL
INVESTIGATING THE ROOT CAUSE.
NOW THAT SPOKESPERSON CALLS IT
A WIN THAT NO CALLS WERE
DROPPED DURING THAT 5 HOUR
PERIOD. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN
YOU 9-1-1, CALL SYSTEM IN THE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA THAT
ALLOWS FOR CALLS TO BE REROUTED
TO A DIFFERENT COUNTY IN THE
CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, THE
SHERIFF SAYS SITUATIONS LIKE
THIS DON'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
>> BUT THE RESPONSE TIME THIS
TIME WAS A BIG WIN THAT WANT
A HOUSE IN THE SUN TO KNOW THAT
>> WE'RE GOING TO A VERY BEST
TO PROTECT THEM, ESPECIALLY
IN THE STATE OF EMERGENCY.
HEIDI KIRK, WRAL, NEWS,
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY. AND NOW
WE REACHED OUT TO A TNT TO GET
SOME ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NETWORK