What Officials Are Saying About Billings Emergency Services Updates

Billings and Yellowstone County restored 911 service after a nationwide outage that affected cell phones and landlines, with the issue resolved around 3 a.m. Thursday. The Billings City/County 911 Communications Center operates 24/7 and coordinates dispatch for both city and county emergency calls through the Yellowstone Emergency Communications Center.

Restoration of 911 Service

Officials noted that the outage impacted both cell and landline systems across the area. Service returned in the early morning hours following the disruption, allowing normal operations to resume at the communications center that handles calls for the city and county.

Planned Nurse Navigator System

The Billings Fire Department is planning to integrate a nurse navigator system to improve EMS response efficiency by determining if a nurse can handle non-life-threatening emergencies over the phone instead of sending full fire and ambulance teams. This approach aims to match resources more closely to the type of call received.

Shift to Everbridge Alert App

Yellowstone County now uses the Everbridge app called Yellowstone County Informed for emergency alerts, replacing previous siren and CodeRED systems. Officials indicate residents should join to receive city updates on tornadoes, floods, fires, and other local emergencies.

Access to Road and Alert Information

For emergency alerts and road closures in Billings, residents can click the Emergency Alert icon on the Billings Public Works website to view current emergency and road closure situations. This provides a direct channel for ongoing situational updates from public works.

These updates reflect ongoing efforts to maintain reliable emergency communications and response in the area. The 24/7 operations of the communications center continue to serve as the central point for coordinating city and county calls. Residents are encouraged to use the available tools and apps to stay informed during incidents.

Practical steps include signing up for the Yellowstone County Informed app and checking the Billings Public Works site during events. These measures support coordinated responses without requiring additional on-scene resources for every situation.