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Oakland’s emergency dispatch backup plans failed during cable outage, chief says
Damage to AT&T fiber and copper lines disrupted Oakland’s 911, non-emergency and dispatch systems for more than 24 hours. Police say service was restored Friday morning, but the cause of the damage and failure of two backup plans remain under investigation.
Oakland’s emergency communications systems were disrupted for more than 24 hours after AT&T fiber and copper lines were damaged Wednesday evening, raising questions about why backup systems did not keep 911 service operating and how the city can prevent another outage.
The disruption affected the city’s 911 and non-emergency phone lines, the Fire Department’s 911 system, and internet access and computer-aided dispatch software at the Oakland Police Department’s dispatch center. Police said all services were back to normal by about 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Oakland Police Chief James Beere said Thursday that two planned fallback options for 911 were also compromised. The city then relied on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to receive calls, he said.
During the outage, Oakland 911 calls were routed to the county office. Police said officers would respond only to Priority 1 calls, such as reports involving violence or an immediate threat of death or serious injury.
The police department declined a request for a follow-up interview Friday, citing the active investigation. The circumstances of the cable damage and why both initial backup plans were unavailable have not been disclosed.
Beere said the number of lines affected and the extent of the damage led him to suspect more than ordinary vandalism. “I would say this is more of a bad actor than vandalism,” he said Thursday. No cause has been confirmed publicly.
The outage also highlighted the risks to communications during a major earthquake. Mark Benthien of the Statewide California Earthquake Center said people should not expect to be able to make phone calls after a large quake. Angie Lux of the Berkeley Seismology Laboratory said severe earthquake damage could leave communications systems out for days or even weeks.
Lux described the Oakland outage as a troubling preview of what could happen on a much larger scale. Benthien urged residents to prepare by getting to know neighbors and identifying resources in their communities. Earthquake preparedness guidance is available at EarthquakeCountry.org.