Emergency Communication Maintained Despite Widespread Outage Across Central Florida
On July 8 at 2:30pm, Marion County was made aware of a major disruption to the 911 emergency call system that impacted multiple counties across Central Florida, including Marion County. The outage has been linked to the cutting of multiple fiber cables, which affected both primary and backup fiber routes used to transmit emergency calls.
In response, multiple public safety agencies across Marion County acted quickly and collaboratively to mitigate the impact and ensure emergency services remained accessible to the public. Local agencies involved included Marion County Fire Rescue, Marion County Public Safety Communications, Marion County 911 Management, the Ocala Police Department, Ocala Fire Rescue, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Within minutes of identifying the disruption, these agencies jointly activated communication protocols, informed the public, and deployed backup systems to maintain emergency response capabilities. Dispatchers and field personnel worked together seamlessly to ensure residents in need could still be assisted without delay.
“Our top priority is the safety of the public, and the unified effort between all Marion County agencies reflects that commitment to safety,” said Commission Chairman Kathy Bryant. “Yesterday’s coordinated response demonstrates the strength and value of strong partnerships.”
Crews worked into the early morning hours of July 9 to repair the damaged lines and fully restore 911 functionality. During this time, Marion County’s alternative communication systems helped to ensure continued emergency response coverage and community updates.
These systems include:
RapidSOS Platform
This advanced platform provides real-time location and caller information directly to dispatchers through a secure digital connection. As a result, even without a live phone call, dispatchers were able to see when someone was trying to reach 911, quickly identify their location, and call them back within seconds to provide the necessary assistance.
Text-to-911
Marion County’s Text-to-911 service lets residents send a text message to 911 instead of making a voice call. During the outage, while regular phone calls to 911 were disrupted, the Text-to-911 system stayed fully operational. This means people could still send texts asking for help, and dispatchers received those messages instantly. Dispatchers could then respond back through text, asking questions, sending instructions, and even providing critical life-saving guidance like how to perform CPR, all through written messages.
Alert Marion and Interactive Public Safety Alerts
These systems helped keep the public informed throughout the outage by sending emergency alerts, text messages, phone calls, and emails. Through the Alert Marion system, residents received timely notifications right on their phones and devices, ensuring they knew about the situation as it unfolded and what steps to take to stay safe. This quick communication played a key role in keeping the community connected and informed during the disruption. To sign up for Alert Marion notifications visit AlertMarion.com.
Systems were fully restored just before midnight on July 8. The public was promptly informed through Alert Marion notifications, including text messages, phone calls, and emails, as well as updates on multiple agency’s social media channels and websites.
While the immediate response focused on maintaining public safety, the county is continuing to investigate the simultaneous failure of both protected and unprotected fiber paths. We are working closely with our service providers to determine the root cause and ensure a full explanation and long-term resolution.
Marion County thanks all partnering agencies and the public for their cooperation and patience during this time. This event underscores the importance of unified emergency preparedness and the strength of collaboration across jurisdictions.