BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bullitt County's 911 emergency system went radio silent Friday morning.
Emergency officials said the system is 50-years old, outdated and malfunctions a lot. So they often just use the band-aid approach.
"The radio system has been patched and re-patched," Kenny Hardin, director of emergency management for the county said Friday morning. "As we are speaking right now, the system from police and fire is down."
Hardin said this time, an electrical problem killed the radio system and forced dispatchers to use a backup plan.
"We call it a redundant system for police and fire," he said. "Dispatch just switches all the police over and all the fire over to our ambulance channels, and we function there until we can technically get everything back up."
Right now, the county is in the process of moving to a new, $4.6 million dispatch center in the near future.
"I've been in this business since 1985, and the center that I am going to will be the best center that I've worked at," said Debbie Vogel, director Bullitt County E-911.
Vogel said until the new center is up and running, it's her job to make sure every 911 call is routed to the proper agency.
"That's one thing about dispatch: We are very resourceful," she said. "Luckily, we have cellphones, which make everybody portable."
Crews expect to have the problem fixed by the end of the day, but Hardin said there are no guarantees how long it will last.
"We solve one problem, and another one will pop up tomorrow or next week or next month," Hardin said.
Emergency officials expect the new dispatch center to open in March.
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