The cause of the problem is unknown but officials both locally and throughout the southeast were working to fix the issue with AT&T, which is one of the largest wireless carriers in the nation.
At about 10:40 p.m., AT&T posted to Twitter that the problem had been resolved.
The issue was affecting customers in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, according to the Orange County officials.
Each county had set up backup phone numbers so residents could reach first responders.
AT&T posted to Twitter about 9:45 p.m. that they were aware of the issue and were “working to resolve ASAP.”
In Orange County, the problem was discovered about 6 p.m. when someone had a medical issue.
They tried calling 911 several times and couldn’t get through, said Orange County Fire Chief Otto Drozd III.
The person ended up activating an alarm system in their home so first responders would know they needed help, Drozd said.
“It’s gravely concerning to us, which is why we have taken extraordinary steps to inform residents of this issue,” he said.
Drozd said they did a reverse 911 call to inform residents.
AT&T hasn’t provided a reason behind the problem, Drozd said.
No deaths or delays in response time were reported Wednesday night.
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