{"id":67966,"date":"2025-06-24T13:51:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=67966"},"modified":"2025-06-24T13:54:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:54:41","slug":"is-911-in-trouble-why-emergency-systems-are-failing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/is-911-in-trouble-why-emergency-systems-are-failing\/","title":{"rendered":"Is 911 in Trouble? Why Emergency Systems Are Failing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The backbone of emergency response in the United States \u2014 our 911 system \u2014 is facing an escalating crisis. According to a new report<\/a> by emergency technology company Carbyne, the nation\u2019s 911 infrastructure is plagued by frequent outages, growing cyber threats, and aging equipment that increasingly puts lives at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This troubling analysis is drawn from Carbyne\u2019s third annual survey, conducted in partnership with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). It reveals that nearly 90% of emergency communication centers across the country suffered at least one outage in the past year. The primary causes? Failing hardware, outdated systems, and targeted cyberattacks designed to cripple emergency response capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Systemic Stress in a High-Stakes Environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the professionals working behind the scenes \u2014 the dispatchers and technicians who field critical calls every day \u2014 the challenges go far beyond technical difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat these professionals are experiencing isn\u2019t just stress\u2014it\u2019s systemic fatigue,\u201d said Brian Fontes<\/a>, CEO of NENA. \u201cThis year\u2019s findings are a wake-up call: Real investments are needed to ensure 9-1-1 professionals are supported, protected, and equipped to better serve their communities and care for themselves in these high-stress roles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From daily system overloads to hardware failures, the report reveals how fragile the nation\u2019s emergency infrastructure has become. In many cases, dispatchers are left scrambling, unable to effectively respond due to system crashes or interrupted communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Growing Threat: Cyberattacks on 911 Systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The survey also points to a disturbing rise in cyber threats targeting emergency services. One tactic, in particular, is gaining traction: Telephony Denial-of-Service (TDoS)<\/strong> attacks. In these incidents, malicious actors flood 911 call centers with fake calls, preventing legitimate emergencies from reaching dispatchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most emergency communication centers admit they\u2019re not prepared to defend against these attacks \u2014 a fact that\u2019s both alarming and indicative of broader cybersecurity shortcomings in public infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no question: the fragility of current emergency communications infrastructure is putting lives at risk,\u201d said Carbyne CEO Amir Elichai. \u201cWhat\u2019s clear from this year\u2019s report is that 9-1-1 professionals are doing everything they can\u2014but they need modern, resilient systems to back them up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some Hope: Embracing the Cloud and AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the bad news, there are signs of cautious optimism. The report notes a growing interest in cloud-based platforms<\/strong> and artificial intelligence tools<\/strong> that could modernize operations and make emergency centers more resilient. In fact, 75% of respondents said they\u2019re open to using AI to help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n