Source: New York Post
A brazen copper wire theft brought Oakland’s 911 emergency system to its knees for nearly two days, leaving police dispatchers scrambling to handle calls in an unprecedented public safety nightmare. The massive communications meltdown began Wednesday night after thieves allegedly vandalized critical AT&T infrastructure, severing copper and fiber-optic lines and knocking out the city’s emergency phone lines, internet and computer-aided dispatch system, according to the East Bay Times. The Oakland fiasco unfolded as other California communities reported separate 911 disruptions Thursday, including Riverside County and Santa Barbara, where some cellphone users struggled to reach emergency dispatchers.
