Thousands of homes were affected by power outages after strong storms rolled through the region last week. Fallen trees on power lines were mostly to blame, but with the lights out, residents were unsure of what to do.
So they called 911.
The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety handled over 7,000 911 calls during that storm, which lasted about an hour, according to Cheltenham Township Police
Due to the high influx of emergency calls, the department says that emegency crews were not able to respond to all of them.
Cheltonham Police took to their facebook page to clarify what constitutes as a 911 emergency.
"You should refrain from calling 911 to report only power outages or to ask when power will be restored. The 911 call takers & dispatchers do not have access to that information nor can they expedite power being restored."
The Cheltenham Township Police Department reminds citizens to call 911 for any police, fire, or EMS events during a storm. Fallen trees, flooded roadways, telephone poles on fire, and fallen wires are all reasons to call 911.
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If you experience a non-emergency power outage, call PECO at 1-800-841-4141.
