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The D.C. region's 911 emergency network has suffered widespread failures over the past two years, according to a new analysis by the Washington Post. The failures started long before the June derecho storm, in which the company acknowledged failures of backup systems in different parts of the region.
There have been at least 11 outages since July 2010 in Maryland and Virginia, records and interviews conducted by the Post show. In some cases, callers received busy signals. Some outages blocked all calls in a particular area and others restricted the number of calls or did not provide location information or callback numbers.
The company has said drained batteries, faulty generators and a failure to fully explore the problem contributed to restoration delays in June. Verizon is auditing backup power systems throughout the region, according to the company.
Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process
After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial
Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill
The IRS bureaucrat showed up long enough at a House hearing into the scandal engulfing her agency to declare her innocence and her constitutional right to say no more.How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started
You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.Leave a Comment
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