Update: (9 p.m.)
The 911 systems are fully functional again in the Bay Area.
At the Hillsborough County 911 dispatch center, they usually take about 2,000 emergency calls a day. But the system went down when a road work crew in South Florida accidently severed a fiber optic cable.
"(It's) always concerning for us because our form of communication has been for years the 911 system, so people are in tune to call 911. So anytime a system like that goes out, it's very concerning and it could potentially be dangerous for people out there because they are not aware of how to activate emergency services," said Corporal Larry Mckinnon with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
911 service was out for about 5 1/2 hours.
Update: (1:12 p.m.)
The widespread phone outage across the Tampa Bay area is ending.
So far, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department have reported that their phone system has been restored and is now functioning. Residents can resume using 911 for emergencies.
Manatee County officials also confirmed that 911 service was restored around 1 p.m. after a two-hour outage. Manatee's call center is now receiving calls on emergency and non-emergency lines, from all carriers.
Pinellas County has also reported that the 911 service has been fully restored. All customers should call 911 to report any emergencies.
Original story:
A widespread phone outage took out 911 services to school districts, airports and public services across the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday.
- 911 calls out of service again across Tampa Bay area
- Issues occurring in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk
The outage is because of regional widespread issues with the Frontier Communication Company, officials said.
The issue is affecting 911 calls in several counties, along with schools and airports. Officials said the technical issues extend beyond Tampa, and it is unclear how widespread it is.
Hillsborough County
In Hillsborough County, the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is experiencing technical issues with the 911 emergency system.
🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 @TampaPD is currently experiencing issues with the 911 system.
— Bob Buckhorn (@BobBuckhorn) January 31, 2018
To reach the Police, call 813-231-6130.
To reach Fire or medical service, call 813-232-6805.
Officials are currently working to restore service. For more info visit: https://t.co/x1iit40qWJ pic.twitter.com/mI4JINo4J7
Officials are working to restore the system's functionality and Hillsborough County 911 Administration has been in contact with Frontier, the service provider.
However, there is no known time frame for the restoration of the service, officials said.
The Tampa Police Non-Emergency Line is functioning properly and can be reached via 813-231-6130. This line is available for both emergency and non-emergency calls for police service. For fire and emergency medical service calls, please call 813-232-6805.
For emergency and non-emergency calls to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, use 813-247-8200.
Temple Terrace 911 services are currently offline as well. To reach the Temple Terrace Police Department for emergencies, call 813-506-6500.
Tampa International Airport is also experiencing phone issues. The airport tweeted saying, "Our 911 system is currently affected by a county-wide outage. Please call 813-870-8760 to reach our police dispatchers if you need immediate assistance."
Passengers and guests: Our 911 system is currently affected by a county-wide outage. Please call 813-870-8760 to reach our police dispatchers if you need immediate assistance.
— Tampa Intl Airport (@FlyTPA) January 31, 2018
Manatee County
The issues with Frontier has also impacted 911 coverage for many in Manatee County. Manatee County 911 is not receiving emergency calls.
Anyone in Manatee County with an emergency should call 941-301-2270 for police, medical, and fire emergency service. Those with urgent needs may also TEXT their emergency to 911 from any cellular phone.
Pinellas County
The St. Petersburg Police Department is also experiencing issues, but not with 911 calls. The police department is experiencing technical difficulties with their non-emergency line, 893-7780. 911 is functioning properly and officials say to call 727-893-7764 for pressing, non-emergency issues.
Pinellas County officials say any residents needing to make an emergency call should continue to dial 911. However, those who cannot get through to 911 should call the designated temporary backup number, (727) 582-5770. The Pinellas County backup number is fully staffed by the same professional dispatchers.
At this time, some wireless and landline carriers are experiencing issues with 911 routing. The Pinellas County Regional 911 Center is working with phone providers to fully restore the service.
Polk County
The issue has also reached Polk County. Many schools and district offices are currently experiencing phone outages. Polk County Schools tweeted saying, "Many of our schools and district offices are currently experiencing phone outages. Schools still have Internet access and use of mobile phones. We are working with our service provider to get an update on repair time, and hope to resolve the issues as soon as possible."
The Polk County Sheriff's Office also tweeted saying some landline phone serevices are being affected, but that the 911 center is operational. However, if anyone does have an issue reaching the sheriff's office via 911, to call them using a cell phone, which seems to be counteracting the outage issue.