Update: As of 3 p.m., 9-1-1 phone service in Santa Monica has been fully restored. Please call or text 9-1-1 to report emergencies and 310-458-8491 to report non-emergency public safety incidents.
Both cell and landlines currently impacted
By Sam Catanzaro
9-1-1 service in Santa Monica is currently unreliable with officials asking the public to call (310) 458-8491 in the event of an emergency.
According to the City of Santa Monica, the issue began around 9:20 p.m. Monday.
“The City of Santa Monica advises everyone in Santa Monica that some 9-1-1 calls are experiencing routing issues and may not successfully connect to Santa Monica dispatch. The service impacts both cellular and land lines in the Santa Monica area,” said Constance Farrell, Public Information Officer in a statement.
According to the City, callers who dial 9-1-1 and hear a rapid busy tone or other disruption should hang up and call (310) 458-8491 to be connected to Santa Monica public safety dispatchers. In addition, emergency services can be reached by texting 9-1-1.
The City noted that landline and Verizon cell service customers calling 9-1-1 may experience their call being answered by another dispatch office.
“Stay on the line and your phone call will be transferred to Santa Monica Public Safety Communications,” Farrell said.
AT&T and T-Mobile cell service customers who experience a busy tone when calling 9-1-1 should hang up and call (310) 458-8491 or text 9-1-1 to connect to Santa Monica dispatcher, according to the City.
Currently, there is no ETA for service restoration, as the utility company is still diagnosing the problem.
“Santa Monica Police and Fire are actively responding to calls for service in Santa Monica. Santa Monica Police is patrolling business districts and neighborhoods as an additional precaution. Santa Monica has a multi-departmental response team that is supporting the work of technology and regional public safety partners as they work to resolve the root cause of the disruption as quickly as possible,” Farrell said.
Updates on the 9-1-1 disruption will be made to https://www.santamonica.gov/9-1-1-disruption-july-12-13-2021.
