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Billings Emergency Services: Tracing the Path to Current Operations After 2024 Changes
A nationwide Verizon outage resolved on July 16 shows how Billings reached its present emergency setup through prior system replacements and ongoing adjustments.
How we reported this
Billings and Yellowstone County 911 services returned to full operation after a nationwide Verizon outage ended around 3 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The resolution restored connectivity for dispatch centers that rely on the network for call handling across the metro area.
Why the Recent Outage Highlights Prior Adjustments
The outage drew attention to changes made in emergency communications since 2024. At that time Billings replaced its earlier CodeRED and siren systems with the Everbridge app under the Yellowstone County Informed system. The switch occurred to consolidate alert delivery into one platform managed by county emergency services.
Dispatch Structure in Place Today
Public safety calls for both the city and county route through the Yellowstone Emergency Communications Center, known as YECC. This single point of contact manages 911 traffic for the Billings metro area and coordinates initial responses. The center operates alongside the Billings Fire Department, which continues to examine a nurse navigator approach that would triage non-life-threatening calls by phone before vehicles are sent.
Access Points for Residents
Updates on road closures or active situations appear on the Billings Public Works website through its Emergency Alert icon. Residents can also receive notifications via the Everbridge-based Yellowstone County Informed system that replaced the prior platforms in 2024. These tools now form the main channels for official information when incidents occur.
The current setup reflects incremental steps taken over recent years to maintain service continuity. The 2024 replacement of CodeRED and sirens with Everbridge occurred before the July 2026 outage, allowing the county to test alert delivery under the new system. YECC has remained the central dispatch point throughout this period, while the Fire Department’s review of phone-based triage represents an additional efficiency measure still under consideration. No further timeline for the nurse navigator program has been set in available records.
Residents seeking the latest road or emergency updates can visit the Billings Public Works site and select the Emergency Alert section. The Yellowstone County Informed system through the Everbridge app provides another direct route for notifications tied to local incidents.