The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Cricket 911 calls operating normally, company says

Judge cuts off embattled SCLC treasurer
Updated 1 min. ago
Crash holds up funeral procession
Updated 3 min. ago
Mother’s defense says boyfriend abused her daughter in secret
Updated 6 min. ago
SunCoke receives permit from Ohio EPA
Updated 26 min. ago
Dayton, Fairfield malls closing early
5:18 p.m.
> More headlines

By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer 5:09 PM Thursday, April 9, 2009

Cricket Wireless officials say they have corrected a problem that caused a Miamisburg man’s 911 calls to go unanswered by emergency dispatchers as his garage burned earlier this week.

“All Montgomery County, Ohio 911 numbers for Cricket customers are currently being validated today in a testing procedure that is expected to be completed by 6 p.m. (Thursday, April 9),” the company said in a news release. “Initial tests results show Cricket’s Dayton-area 911 service to be operating normally.”

Josh Bledsoe had said he called 911 approximately five times from his Cricket phone as his garage at 360 S. Gebhart Church Road on Tuesday night. Each time, the call was sent to the City of Miamisburg municipal building, which answered only with a recording.

Bledsoe’s wife eventually connected with dispatchers using her Cincinnati Bell cell phone at 10:59 p.m. The fire, which caused several explosions, consumed the garage and also damaged the house.

Greg Lund, a Cricket spokesperson, said the company was given an incorrect number to program for its phones’ 911 use that local authorities provided and sent calls to a non-emergency line. Lund said the problem only affected that single cell site, and there are more than 100 cell sites in the Dayton area.

Lund said Cricket first learned of the problem Wednesday, although Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said at a news conference on Wednesday that the county had warned Cricket of the problem in the past.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

Clearly the employee made a mistake. This happens within all jobs. I have had Cricket for years and love its value. At some point society has gotten so ***** that it doesnt even allow for human error. Have any of you messed up before? Im sure Cricket fired said employee, what more could we be expecting?

Kristy
9:20 AM, 4/13/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Chirp, If you knew anything, it is up to the Phone Carrier to be compliant with 911 system. Montgomery County is Phase II compliant, Cricket has been lazy in their compliance; just like in their service.

BILL
5:15 PM, 4/11/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Thank you Sheriff! For helping to keep the community safe.

Cindy
8:23 AM, 4/10/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Just confirms my reasons why I will NEVER have a cell as my only phone. Granted, if my house is on fire, i probably can't get to the phone, but none the less, I will never give up my landline.

max
7:35 AM, 4/10/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Cricket phones are a joke we left AT&T to get all the bells and whistles for less money, what we got was less service and no customer service with Cricket. Dumped them and went to Cincinnati Bell. Cricket should be investigated by the feds you depend on a phone and it does not work when you need it

Chuck
7:17 AM, 4/10/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There are 4 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.