Black River Falls, Wis. — A potential Verizon-related outage may disrupt some 911 calls in Jackson County, prompting officials to issue an alert.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Verizon notified local authorities about possible 911 service interruptions affecting parts of the county.
Officials said residents should attempt to call 911 as usual during an emergency. However, if the call does not go through, the sheriff’s office is asking the public to use its non-emergency dispatch line at (715) 284-5357.
The alert was shared by the sheriff’s office in a public notice Monday, warning that the disruption could affect the ability of some callers to connect with emergency services through the standard 911 system.
Authorities said telecommunications companies are working to resolve the issue but have not provided a timeline for when service will be fully restored.
Emergency officials emphasized that residents should still attempt to dial 911 first during urgent situations. If the call fails or does not connect, calling the non-emergency number can still reach dispatchers who can send assistance.
The sheriff’s office did not specify how widespread the outage may be or how many callers have been affected so far.
Officials said they will provide updates if additional information becomes available or once Verizon confirms the issue has been resolved.
For now, residents are encouraged to keep the non-emergency number accessible in case they experience difficulty reaching 911.
The disruption may be especially relevant for commuters, students, and workers traveling through the county who rely on mobile service for emergency calls.
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