BOSTON, MA (WBZ-AM) — Depending on where you live, 911 may or may not be working--but state officials are offering an alternate number.
A massive nationwide outage for services offered by Century Link hit overnight affecting internet customers and 9-1-1 service in Massachusetts.
Callers may hear a fast busy signal, hear a recording saying “All circuits are busy” or something similar, or may get connected to a different emergency call center than they were expecting.
According to officials with Mass Emergency Management, you are asked to call your local police or fire department directly if you have an emergency.
If you cannot locate your city or town’s 10-digit emergency number, please contact the State 9-1-1 Department in Framingham at 508-872-2508 and tell the dispatcher the exact location of the emergency, including city or town, and they can transfer the call to the correct department.
For those towns listed below that receive dispatch services from the Massachusetts State Police, please use the 10-digit emergency number for the town:
For towns dispatched by New Braintree Control, the 10-digit emergency number is 508-867-1170: Brimfield, Brookfield, East Brookfield, Hardwick, Holland, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Petersham, Wales, West Brookfield.
For towns dispatched by Northampton Control, the 10-digit emergency number is 413-586-1508:
Chester. Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Granville, Hatfield, Huntington. Montgomery, Pelham, Plainfield, Russell, Williamsburg, Westhampton, Worthington.
For towns dispatched by Shelburne Control, the 10-digit emergency number is 413-625-8200:
Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shelburne Falls, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately.