Between 30 and 40 calls made to 911 were impacted in Rhode Island Monday night after a malfunction that lasted an hour.
According to necn affiliate WJAR, the technical issues began around 7:55 p.m. and resolved around 8:55 p.m.
The issues prevented callers from communicating with dispatchers.
Residents were sent a reverse 911 call to notify them when services were restored.
State police say the malfunction was a result of a software glitch; however, experts are still working to identify what caused the initial failure and how to have the emergency service's backup system automatically start when there are similar issues in the future.
"We are very concerned that the 911 system did not operate as expected," Lt. Col. Kevin Barry said. "We recognize that Rhode Islanders expect and deserve a 911 system that is fully operational when an emergency arises, and we will do everything in our power to ensure uninterrupted access to 911 in the future."
