Pinellas County 911 calls were rerouted to the St. Petersburg Police Department for nearly five hours Wednesday after a software issue forced the county system to shut down, authorities said.
The Pinellas County 911 system went down about 10:15 a.m. and was restored about 3 p.m.
During that time the St. Petersburg Police Communications Center handled 684 calls of which 397 were emergency 911 calls, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The St. Petersburg Police Communications Center serves as back-up for the Pinellas County 911 system.
The 911 calls to the county system were routed directed to St. Petersburg police then rerouted to each law enforcement agency, including the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for dispatch.
Several county workers showed up at the St. Petersburg Police Communications Center to assist in anticipation of increased volume of medical and other emergency calls for service the agency would receive Wednesday.
