Updated: The Massachusetts 911 system was disrupted and unavailable for a time today, but state officials now report service was restored.
The public may now resume calling 911 for emergencies.
The Massachusetts State 911 Department says it continues to investigate the cause of the disruption.
–Earlier–
Local police and fire departments said this afternoon the statewide 911 emergency system is out of service, and state officials said they are investigating the cause.
The outage comes as a dangerous heat wave settles in over Massachusetts and as Boston prepares to host a victory parade for the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Friday. The State 911 Department said it was aware of the issue and was investigating.
“Individuals who are experiencing an emergency are asked to contact the direct line for their local police department. We will provide further information as soon as it becomes available,” the department said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu called attention to the outage early Tuesday afternoon at the beginning of her press conference with public safety officials to talk about this week’s extreme heat and Friday’s Celtics parade.
Residents are advised to call police and fire department business lines in the event of an emergency. In Haverhill, the numbers are 978-373-1212 for police and 978-373-8833 or 978-373-8450 for the Fire Department. In Methuen, 978-983-8698 for police or 978-983-8940 for fire.