Montgomery County's non-emergency dispatch line is cutting in and out due to a service-provider outage, county officials say, though 911 calls are going through without a hitch. The disruption is hitting county government phones specifically, leaving some residents unable to reach dispatchers for routine, non-urgent matters.
“Intermittent outages with our service provider are affecting county phone lines, including the non-emergency dispatch number,” the Montgomery County Police Reporter quoted officials as saying. Crucially, officials stressed that “911 remains fully operational and is not affected by these outages,” and that the trouble is limited to “county government phones, NOT INCLUDING 911.”
Crews are actively working to restore phone service, according to the same report. Residents with something that can wait are being told to try again later or the next day rather than keep dialing in, while anyone who cannot reach law enforcement on the non-emergency dispatch line is being told they can call 911 for assistance instead, per officials. Officials are also maintaining hourly contact with the phone service provider for updates on when the lines will be fully restored.
One of Two Lifelines for 911 Calls
The outage is notable in part because of how Montgomery County's emergency system is structured. The county's communications center is one of two Primary Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAPs, serving the area, according to mc911.org. Anyone who dials 911 for law enforcement, fire or EMS help is routed to one of those two centers regardless of the non-emergency line's status.
The Montgomery County Emergency Communication District lists 936-760-5800 as the dispatch non-emergency number. In March 2025, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced a new non-emergency number, as reported by Community Impact at the time.
Part of a Broader Pattern Across Texas
Montgomery County is not alone. According to FOX 26 Houston, a statewide telecommunications issue is disrupting connections between residents and local county offices and dispatch lines in multiple organizations across Texas. Elsewhere in East Texas, multiple law enforcement offices reported phone-line issues tied to carrier outages, with impacts varying by provider — some tied to Verizon and T-Mobile customers specifically, per KETK.com.
Not every outage has left 911 untouched the way Montgomery County's has. In at least one East Texas case, officials said their 911 phone lines themselves were down due to a carrier-based issue, and residents were directed to alternate numbers instead, the station reported. Responses to these outages have generally followed a similar script: delay non-emergency calls if possible, but dial 911 for anything urgent.
Similar disruptions have popped up elsewhere in the state in recent weeks. In Pecos City, a fiber line cut knocked out internet and phone service, though emergency services were reported unaffected and residents could still reach 911, according to First Alert 7. That report also noted that providers haven't always given officials an estimated repair time, leaving the duration of these outages uncertain. In late September, the Zapata County Sheriff's Office reported its own phone lines were down, telling residents to call 911 for anything requiring immediate help while communications and technical staff worked on restoring service, according to KGNS.tv.
For now, Montgomery County residents are being asked for patience on anything that isn't urgent. The message from officials remains consistent: non-emergency callers should try back later, and anyone facing a genuine emergency should simply dial 911.
