Most Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stations were dealing with a major headache Thursday evening when an outage knocked out countywide 911 and direct business lines, according to department officials. While technicians scrambled with a third-party vendor to get the system back, dispatchers shifted incoming 9-1-1 calls onto patrol station business phone lines to keep emergencies from falling through the cracks. Authorities also urged anyone unable to reach 911 by phone to text 911 with their exact location, the type of emergency, and their name.
In a public advisory, the department said the interruption, which began shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, hit the VESTA call-handling platform and triggered a full-on technical response, including department electricians sent to track down the problem, according to NBC Los Angeles. Officials said they were working with the third-party telecommunications provider to restore normal service as quickly as possible.
“The Department was notified of an outage affecting the Vesta System, a third-party public safety call-handling platform,” Deputy Daniel Dominguez of the Sheriff Information Bureau wrote in the advisory, NBC Los Angeles reported. The department said 9-1-1 calls are being automatically redirected to station business lines so that dispatchers can keep answering emergencies.
The Palmdale Sheriff’s Station posted on X that text-to-911 is still working and urged residents to use that option if a call does not go through; the message is available here. The station’s contact details and non-emergency number remain listed on LASD.org.
Why this matters
The LASD has been hit by tech troubles before. Around New Year’s Eve 2024, a crash of its decades-old computer-aided dispatch system forced deputies to fall back on radios to manage calls, according to the Associated Press (AP). Nationwide, there have also been outages tied to vendors or carrier work that have disrupted 911 access, showing how a problem far from the call center can ripple across emergency networks, as covered by ABC7. Those earlier incidents underline why backup plans like rerouting calls, leaning on text-to-911, and using station lines become critical when the main system fails.
What to do if you can't reach 911
If a phone call to 911 will not connect, officials say you should text 911 and include your exact location, a brief description of the emergency, and your name so dispatchers know where to send help. If texting is not possible, try calling your local sheriff’s station or the non-emergency number listed on its LASD page; for instance, the Palmdale station can be reached at (661) 272-2400. Keep updates short, and only call back if you have new information that will help first responders find you or understand what is happening.
The Sheriff’s Department has said it will release more information as it becomes available and urged residents to follow official department channels and local news outlets for the latest updates. This story will be updated when new advisories are posted.
