Umatilla County dispatcher Arlita Parsons takes 911 and non-emergency calls April 25, 2024, at the county's dispatch center in Pendleton.

UMATILLA COUNTY — Phone lines are back up at Umatilla County’s 911 Regional Dispatch Center in Pendleton as of 1 p.m. Friday, July 18. They were announced as down at 9:10 a.m.

Capt. Sterrin Ward with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office said it was “determined to be a technical problem,” and technicians are looking into the issue to prevent it from happening again in the future.

911 lines have been transferred back to the county’s Regional Dispatch Center and business lines are up once more.

While lines were down, incoming 911 calls were rerouted to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, per the center’s emergency operations plan, according to Ward.

The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office has the same computer-aided dispatch system as Umatilla County’s 911 Regional Dispatch Center, Ward said, so once a call was received and entered, Umatilla County’s center could see the request for service and dispatch emergency responders.

Because the same system is used, Ward said during the disruption, emergency response times “should not be impacted.”

Ward thanked Morrow County “for the huge assist” in a statement announcing the phones are working again. She also said all the dispatchers involved acted like “the true professionals (they) are” during the issue.

“Our emergency operation plan is in place for just such an emergency and is an example of how preparation is critical and ensures our success,” Ward said. “We remain committed to providing reliable emergency services to our community.”