FDNY's 911 System Goes Down Briefly: Officials

The FDNY's emergency computer system went down for about two hours Monday afternoon, forcing 911 dispatchers to work manually while repairs were being made to the system, officials say. 

Callers were always able to reach someone when dialing 911 from 2:15 p.m. to 4:05 p.m., but the FDNY's computer aided dispatch system trouble forced workers to take down information and dispatch crews manually, the FDNY said.

About 600 calls were handled manually by operators and dispatchers, a process in place and used when necessary for more than two decades, fire officials said. Emergency crews were sent out by radio, and callers were able to report emergencies without an issue.

There were no life-threatening emeregencies during that period, and response times were not believed to have been affected nor any calls missed.

It's not clear what caused the failure. 

The new New York City emergency call system, which rolled out last summer, is streamlined and uses state-of-the art technology, but pieces of the system have failed from time to time.

In May 2013, it crashed three times during the first week of operation, and then in a single day in July 2013, it stalled three times.

In each of the cases, the call-takers were forced to jot down information using pen and paper. 

The giant 911 system continues its process of being upgraded at a total cost of $2 billion, including a new backup center.

The Bloomberg administration commissioned a $2 billion upgrade of the city's 911 communications system several years ago.

The overhaul included a new $680 million call center that combined the operations of police, fire and medical dispatchers. City officials have said the update improved response times, eliminated inefficiencies and reduced confusion for callers.

A consultant's report in 2012, however, indicated the system was troubled by delays and errors that could leave callers without help for crucial seconds in an emergency, and said the FDNY and NYPD weren't prepared for the surge in calls that would come with a massive crisis such as a terrorist attack.