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Yeaton mayor urges residents to sign up for Delco Alert after statewide 911 outage
Summary
Mayor Rowan Hopkins told council the statewide 911 system experienced an intermittent outage July 11–12, prompting the borough to expand staff hours and rely on Delco Alert and social media; council discussed reviving a block-captain network for vulnerable residents.
Mayor Rowan Hopkins told Yeaton Borough Council on July 17 that the commonwealth experienced an intermittent statewide 911 outage last week that lasted about 24 hours. “Last Friday we had the 911 system go down in the commonwealth,” Hopkins said, describing intermittent connectivity and the borough’s response. He said the borough extended office hours and posted messages on the borough website and social media to provide alternate phone numbers for residents who could not reach 911.
The mayor and council emphasized an immediate practical step: sign up for Delco Alert. A council member said the emergency message did go through Delco Alert even while 911 was affected and urged residents to enroll. “Sign up for Delco Alert because that’s what we have right now,” the council member said.
Hopkins and others described gaps in reaching vulnerable residents, particularly seniors without devices. Hopkins said the borough will explore reinstating a block-captain system so designated neighbors can help spread urgent messages during rare, high-impact outages such as a cyberattack or other communication failures. “The only way to do that I believe is to have block captains,” he said.
Council members asked how the borough had pushed messages during the outage. Hopkins said staff used the borough website, social media, and extended staffing from the municipal office until 8 p.m. He also said approximately 3,000 people had been reached through a message on a civic app and that the borough pushed notices via Facebook and its website. A council member noted that seniors and others who are not connected remain a vulnerability and reiterated support for a block-captain plan.
Council did not adopt a formal new policy during the meeting; members instructed staff to explore options and encouraged residents to register for Delco Alert. The mayor said the borough will continue to evaluate communication channels and report back on potential block-captain organization or other outreach measures.
The exchange occurred during the mayor’s report and subsequent council discussion on July 17.
