That Puzzling 911 Notification Oregonians Got Last Night? It Was an Error

CenturyLink outage in Clark County, Wash. led to mistaken notification to Portland metro area residents.

Mary's Peak Radio Tower (ChristopherGlantz / Oregon Department of Transportation)
By Nigel Jaquiss

The telecommunications company CenturyLink suffered technical problems yesterday that, among other issues, led to the loss of 911 service in some areas of the country, including Clark County, Wash.

Late last night at 11:22 pm, CRESA, the 911 system operator for Clark County sent out a push notification to phones in its service area but also to people in the Portland metro area.

"This is CRESA 911," the alert said. "911 lines are down in our area. Call 360-693-3111 for emergencies."

That was a mistake—although 911 service wasn't working in Clark County, 911 service on the Oregon side of the Columbia was working fine—and CRESA apologized in a tweet soon afterward.

As of late morning, CenturyLink is still trying to fix its technical problems.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates telecom companies, wants answers:

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