911 goes down across L.A. County Sheriff's Department areas overnight - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

by Cierra Morgan

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department experienced a significant 911 system outage overnight, affecting emergency services across its jurisdiction. The disruption occurred on Thursday evening and lasted until early Friday morning when the system was fully restored. During the outage, all 911 calls were automatically rerouted to patrol station business lines to ensure continuous emergency coverage. Additionally, residents were instructed to send text messages to specific stations, including detailed location information, the nature of the emergency, and their name to help responders effectively assist them. The system affected, known as the Vesta System, is a third-party public safety call-handling platform not owned or maintained by the Sheriff’s Department. The department emphasized that they are collaborating with the telecommunications provider to investigate the root cause of the outage and implement measures to prevent similar issues in the future. While no official reason for the disruption has been identified yet, it highlights vulnerabilities in relying on external systems for critical public safety infrastructure. This incident underscores the reliance of modern emergency services on technology and the potential risks associated with third-party platforms. Such outages can have serious implications for public safety, as seen in this case, where residents had to adapt by using alternative methods like text messages to reach emergency responders. The Sheriff’s Department’s transparency in sharing details about the outage and their efforts to address it demonstrate a commitment to maintaining reliable services, though questions remain about the robustness of third-party systems used for critical functions. For readers interested in public safety and technology, this story highlights the importance of understanding potential vulnerabilities in emergency communication systems. It also serves as a reminder of the need

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Originally published on Los Angeles Times on 2/20/2026