Here’s Why Maine & New Hampshire Phones Got a Message About the 911 System

There is a good chance that you received a confusing emergency message on your phone on Tuesday afternoon.

The message, which popped up at about 3 p.m., explained that the previous message had been an error, and that the message was intended for the residents of another state.  The message went on to explain that Maine's 911 system was fully operational.

I never saw the initial message, but did see the correction.  One of my coworkers speculated that I never saw the initial message because it was overwritten by the second message.  That seems to make sense.

So what caused the flurry of messages?  It appears that Massachusetts is currently dealing with a statewide 911 system issue.

A statewide 911 issue in Massachusetts

According to WMUR, people in Massachusetts are being told to call their local authorities directly in the event of an emergency.

The article explains that the issue was mentioned during a press conference, but officials did not provide many details.  The article said that it was a temporary problem that was being worked on.

A WCVB article explains that in Boston, the internal communications network used by first responders is fully functional.  This means that in the event you call the police, they can still contact EMS or the fire department.

Why did phones in Maine & New Hampshire get the message?

So far, no reason has been given for why other states got the alert.

At first, I had assumed that I received it because I have a New Hampshire number, and New Hampshire is close to Massachusetts.  After speaking with several coworkers with Maine phone numbers, I learned that they also got the messages, so that was clearly not the reason.

As we learn more, we will share it with you.

Did you get the message?  Did you get the initial message?  Did you screenshot it?  If you did, please share it with us in our app.  We'd love to see what it said.