What Happened
Intermittent 9-1-1 outages were reported across parts of Ontario on Thursday morning, September 17, affecting emergency call routing in several communities.
The Ontario Provincial Police said it had received reports of intermittent outages in parts of the province. Police services in several areas also issued public notices as they worked to deal with the disruption.
The outage affected the normal process used to connect residents with emergency police, fire and ambulance services.
Police Provide Alternate Numbers
The Ontario Provincial Police advised residents who were unable to reach 9-1-1 and required emergency police assistance to call its non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122.
The OPP said the line remained fully operational while the emergency telephone issue was being investigated. Police members continued responding to calls for service during the temporary disruption.
Residents were also asked not to call 9-1-1 simply to test whether the system was working or to request information about the outage.
Waterloo Region Reports 9-1-1 Disruption
Waterloo Regional Police Service reported an outage shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday.
Residents in Waterloo Region were initially asked to use 519-570-9777 to reach emergency police, fire or ambulance services while the 9-1-1 lines were unavailable.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service later confirmed that its emergency reporting lines had been restored.
The service's regular website lists 519-570-9777 as its non-emergency contact number and 9-1-1 as its emergency number.
Other Ontario Areas Affected
The disruption was also reported by police services in other Ontario communities.
Police in Peel Region and London reported 9-1-1 problems during the early morning, although those services reported that their issues had been resolved before 5 a.m.
The extent of the outage varied between communities, with some emergency call services continuing to operate while others experienced intermittent problems.
Why the 9-1-1 Issue Matters
The 9-1-1 system is the main route for Canadians seeking immediate assistance from police, fire and ambulance services.
A disruption to emergency call routing can make it harder for residents to quickly reach the appropriate emergency communications centre.
For that reason, police services issued alternate telephone numbers in affected areas and asked residents to follow local instructions if they were unable to connect through 9-1-1.
The OPP also continued to respond to calls while the problem was being investigated.
Cause of the Outage
The exact cause of the disruption had not been confirmed in the initial reports Thursday morning.
The OPP said the issue was being investigated and that it was working with service providers to expedite restoration of the emergency telephone system.
Police said additional information would be provided as it became available.
Reports later in the morning indicated that service was being restored in some affected areas.
What Residents Should Know
Residents should follow updates from their local police service if they experience problems connecting to 9-1-1.
For areas policed by the OPP, the force provided 1-888-310-1122 as an alternate number for people who could not reach 9-1-1 and required emergency police assistance.
In Waterloo Region, police provided 519-570-9777 during the local disruption.
Residents should avoid making test calls to 9-1-1. Police specifically asked the public not to use the emergency system to check whether the outage had ended.
The situation continued to develop Thursday morning as police and service providers worked to restore normal emergency call routing across affected communities.