An internet outage in Portland has disrupted the city's text-to-911 service, officials from the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications announced Tuesday morning. The bureau reported at approximately 9:45 a.m. that the text-to-911 feature is currently non-operational, citing internet issues at certain city offices. Despite this, the bureau assures that traditional 911 call services function and urges those needing emergency assistance to make voice calls instead.
The Bureau of Emergency Communications has also noted that the internet outage is affecting the city's non-emergency line, which is operating sporadically. However, the PDX 311 service remains active, albeit with the potential for extended wait times – prompting officials to recommend emailing [email protected] as an alternative for service inquiries, as reported by KGW. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing have been advised to use Relay Services or TTY to reach emergency services during this outage.
While the affected city services work to reconnect, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has been looking to the skies, seeking to expand its existing drone program. Currently, the city code classifies drones as controlled equipment, necessitating approval from the City Council for purchases. PPB intends to fund the expansion using asset forfeiture monies from its Special Revenue fund. The drones are used in exigent situations to manage traffic collisions and execute search warrants. Based on city code, exigent circumstances are defined as situations where a swift police response is necessary to prevent risk to life, destruction of evidence, or the escape of suspects.
The disclosed drone usage statistics are part of PPB's commitment to transparency—publishing their drone activity on a monthly basis on the city website. According to a piece by KOIN, the most common use cases include responses where urgent action is imperative. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Technology Services is actively investigating the text-to-911 outage and is working toward a resolution, as shared by KPTV.
