This is why your phone received a message about the 911 system

Chances are you received a confusing emergency message on your phone Tuesday afternoon.

The message, which appeared around 3 p.m., explained that the previous message was an error and that the message was intended for residents of another state. The message went on to explain that Maine’s 911 system was fully operational.

I never saw the original post, but I saw the correction. One of my colleagues speculated that I never saw the initial post because it was overwritten by the second post. This seems logical.

So what caused this avalanche of messages? It appears that Massachusetts is currently facing a statewide 911 system problem.

A statewide 911 emergency problem in Massachusetts

According to WMUR, Massachusetts residents should call their local authorities directly in case of an emergency.

The article explains that the issue was brought up during a news conference to discuss details of Friday’s Celtics victory parade in Boston, but officials did not provide many details. The article stated that this was a temporary issue that was being worked on.

A WCVB article explains that in Boston, the internal communications network used by first responders is fully functional. This means that if you call the police, they can still contact the emergency services or fire department.

Why did phones in Maine and New Hampshire receive the message?

So far, no reason has been given as to why other states received the alert.

At first I assumed I received it because I had a number in New Hampshire and New Hampshire is close to Massachusetts. After speaking with several colleagues with phone numbers in Maine, I learned that they had also received the messages, so that was clearly not the reason.

As we learn more, we will share it with you.

Did you receive the message? Did you receive the initial message? Did you take a screenshot of it? If so, share it with us in our app. We’d love to see what he says.