911 system down throughout Mass.

The statewide 911 system in Massachusetts shut down Tuesday, according to multiple officials.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu confirmed the news in an already-scheduled press conference in City Hall. Officials did not explain why the outage happened or when it could return. Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox expressed hope that the issue could be resolved quickly. State Police did not immediately return a request for more information.

A public safety alert was sent to Mass. residents’ cell phones. It warned that delays in public safety responses could occur. The Boston Police Department also confirmed the disruption, and publicized ways of contacting authorities in the city. The Brockton fire department called it a “major” outage. Malden police said that “several agencies in the Greater Boston area” were experiencing outages. Worcester police said that the impacts were statewide.

Boston’s Chief of Emergency Medical Services James Hooley said that the information sharing system that first responders use is still operational, meaning that if one department is contacted, the relevant authorities can be quickly notified.

The public is being urged to use their local red call boxes in case of an emergency. Direct lines of communication to local police and fire departments are still operational. The Boston Fire Department can be contacted at 617-343-2880. Boston EMS can be contacted by calling 617-343-1400.