Full Notification

Following Sunday’s CenturyLink 9-1-1 equipment failure affecting Beaufort and Jasper counties, Sheriff P.J. Tanner requested a meeting with representatives from CenturyLink and emergency management officials. This morning, a meeting was held at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center in Beaufort to discuss backup plan options for 9-1-1 service in the event equipment fails or becomes disabled in the future. Present at this morning’s meeting were Sheriff P.J. Tanner and CenturyLink Supervisor of Regional Operations Chad Smith, as well as representatives from Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division, Jasper County Emergency Management, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue E911 Communications Center and Savannah Communications.
 
During the meeting, Chad Smith confirmed that Century Link’s 9-1-1 equipment—BITS clock shelf, SS7 links and other components—were disabled during Sunday night’s lightning storm, which prevented mobile telephone calls from reaching 9-1-1. The delay in notifications were discussed and Chad Smith assured that should there be a disruption in 9-1-1 service in the future, he would make notifications personally and immediately to ensure emergency managers are able to advise the public in a more timely manner. In addition, Chad Smith advised that replacement parts for the 9-1-1 service will be stored locally to prevent a recurrence of Sunday night’s delay in repairs, while waiting for the equipment to arrive from Jacksonville, Florida. Questions of available and best options for a geo-diverse backup 9-1-1 system will be addressed in a subsequent meeting with CenturyLink representatives in the near future.
 
The Sheriff’s Office is committed to delivering the highest quality public safety services to Beaufort County’s residents and guests. Should an issue with reaching 9-1-1 arise again, and until a backup system is in place, the public will be notified immediately of 9-1-1 issues and provided with an alternative telephone number to reach Emergency Dispatch in order to receive help. We appreciate your patience and will keep you advised of developments.
 
Thank you for your partnership and continued commitment to the safety of our community.