West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Public Service Commission of West Virginia was asked Wednesday to investigate a complaint that 10 emergency call centers were unable to field 911 calls for up to 10 hours during a three-day period last month.
The state’s umbrella agency for West Virginia’s 51 911 centers, the WV E911 Council based in Pineville, filed the complaint against Frontier West Virginia, Inc.
Dean Meadows, executive director for the council, said the telephone provider has inadequate backup to ensure telephone service to many centers when telephone lines are subject to vandalism or bad weather.
Meadows said “several” of the centers “have experienced lengthy outrages” because of Frontier’s inadequate backup service. He said citizens at 10 county centers during the Nov. 28-30 period were without service “for up to 10 hours.”
The centers are in Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, Ritchie, Harrison, Taylor
and Mingo counties.
Meadows’ complaint asked the Commission to ensure that Frontier provides proper backup services so “no resident will ever lose the ability to call 911 for emergency assistance.”
Meadows said the situation has been ongoing for the last two or three years. “We’re really at our wit’s end about what ought to be done.” Meadows said.
More information on this case can be found on the PSC website: www.psc.state.wv.us. Click on “Case Information” and access Case No. 23-0921-T-C.