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Explore our coverage of government and politics.

Spike In 'Phantom' Calls Creates Problems For E-911 System

An unusual problem with Vermont’s Emergency 911 network briefly prevented a number of calls from getting through this week.

For nearly an hour Thursday morning, some calls to Vermont’s E -911 system triggered a series of additional "phantom" calls that appeared to come from the same address and phone number as the original.

They were routed to call-takers who, finding no one at the other end of the line, initiated a procedure in which they try to reach someone at that number.

“That started to, I hate to use the term ‘overwhelm,’ but in some instances cause very heavy traffic,” says Tyler Morse, IT manager for Vermont's Enhanced 911 Board.

In at least one case, emergency personnel were dispatched to an address.

Morse says it appeared 15 legitimate calls may not have gotten through because of the high volume. Those callers were subsequently contacted.

Morse says the problem originated with Intrado, a Colorado-based provider of E-911 services and is being investigated.

He says there were no problems with FairPoint’s system, which had been the source of earlier E-911 outages.

Steve has been with VPR since 1994, first serving as host of VPR’s public affairs program and then as a reporter, based in Central Vermont. Many VPR listeners recognize Steve for his special reports from Iran, providing a glimpse of this country that is usually hidden from the rest of the world. Prior to working with VPR, Steve served as program director for WNCS for 17 years, and also worked as news director for WCVR in Randolph. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Steve also worked for stations in Phoenix and Tucson before moving to Vermont in 1972. Steve has been honored multiple times with national and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for his VPR reporting, including a 2011 win for best documentary for his report, Afghanistan's Other War.
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