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911 service restored after widespread CenturyLink outage

The FCC is launching an investigation into a CenturyLink outage that impacted thousands of people nationwide. The company says they were not hacked.

CenturyLink consumer service, including calls to 911, was restored as of Friday night, according to a statement. The company says any latency issues related to the outage will be cleared in the coming hours. 

A spokesperson says the outage that prevented people across the country from being able to call 911 is not related to hacking. However, the spokesperson would not comment further, according to The Associated Press. 

The Federal Communications Commission is launching an investigation into the nationwide CenturyLink outage which impacted the ability for thousands of people to promptly reach emergency services.  

RELATED: Washington state to investigate CenturyLink 911 outage

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released the following statement:

"When an emergency strikes, it’s critical that Americans are able to use 911 to reach those who can help. The CenturyLink service outage is therefore completely unacceptable, and its breadth and duration are particularly troubling.  I’ve directed the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau to immediately launch an investigation into the cause and impact of this outage.  This inquiry will include an examination of the effect that CenturyLink’s outage appears to have had on other providers’ 911 services. I have also spoken with CenturyLink to underscore the urgency of restoring service immediately.  We will continue to monitor this situation closely to ensure that consumers’ access to 911 is restored as quickly as possible.”

RELATED: Thurston County 911 reflects on service outage and how to plan for disaster

The North East King County Regional Public Safety Communication Agency (NORCOM) says if you dial 911 and receive a fast busy signal, hang up and try using a different phone. If you still experience issues and you are in NORCOM’s service area, you can text 911 or call the emergency line at 425-577-5656.

Click here for a map of NORCOM's service area.

In case of an emergency and you can't get through by dialing 911, you can dial the following numbers for dispatch centers: 

Chelan/Douglas County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(509) 663-9911

Clallam County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

360-417-2259/2459 or 360-417-4970

Grays Harbor 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(800) 281-6944

Island County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 678-6116

Jefferson County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

360-385-3831 or 360-344-9779 EXT. 0 or text 911

King County 911

Bothell Police (425) 486-1254

Enumclaw Police (360) 417-2259

Lake Forrest Park Police (425) 486-1254

Issaquah Police (425) 837- 3200

Redmond Police (425) 556-2500

Snoqualmie Police (425) 888-3333

Seattle Police (206) 625-5011

Seattle Fire (206) 583-2111

Norcom (425) 577-5656

  • Fire Departments – Bellevue FD, Bothell FD, Duvall FD, Eastside Fire and Rescue, Fall City FD, Kirkland FD, Mercer Island FD, Northshore FD, Redmond FD, Shoreline FD, Skykomish FD, Snoqualmie FD, Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue and Woodinville Fire and Rescue
  • Police Departments – Bellevue PD, Clyde Hill PD, Medina PD, Kirkland PD, Mercer Island PD and Normandy Park Police.

Valley Com (253) 852-2121

  • Fire Departments - Valley Regional Fire Authority (Algona, Pacific and Auburn), South King Fire and Rescue (Federal Way and Des Moines), Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (Kent, Seatac, Covington and Maple Valley), Tukwila FD, Renton FD, Burien /Normandy Park FD, Skyway Fire, Mountain View Fire and Rescue, Palmer Selleck Fire Districts, Vashon Island Fire and Rescue, Enumclaw FD, King County Airport (Boeing Field) and King County Medic One
  • Police Departments - Algona PD, Pacific PD, Auburn PD, Des Moines PD, Federal Way PD, Kent PD, Renton PD and Tukwila PD.

King County Sheriff’s Office (206) 296-3311

  • Town of Beaux Arts, City of Burien, City of Carnation, City of Covington, City of Kenmore, King County Airport Police (Boeing Field), City of Maple Valley, King County Metro Transit, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, City of Newcastle, City of Sammamish, City of Seatac, City of Shoreline, Town of Skykomish, Sound Transit and City of Woodinville.

Kitsap County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360)-308-5400

Kittitas County 911

Lower County: 509 925 8534

Upper County: 509 674 2584,

select 1, then select 1 for KITTCOM

Lewis County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 740-1105

Mason County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 426-4441

Pacific County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 875-9397

Pierce County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(253) 798-4722

*Except Tacoma, Fircrest, Fife and Ruston - call Tacoma Fire Dispatch (253)627-0151

San Juan County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 378-4151

Skagit County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 428-3211

Snohomish County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(425) 407-3999

Thurston County 911

Countywide 911 Center for Police and Fire

(360) 704-2740

Whatcom County 911

Whatcom County Fire (360) 676-6814

Whatcom County Sheriff (360) 676-6911

Several police departments across Western Washington posted about the problem on social media Thursday.  

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