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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Communications problem at NI ambulance service resolved | Communications problem at NI ambulance service resolved |
| (1 day later) | |
| The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is able to receive calls again, after a major breakdown in its communications network on Saturday night. | The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is able to receive calls again, after a major breakdown in its communications network on Saturday night. |
| For more than three hours, all of its calls were diverted to ambulance staff in Scotland, who then contacted NIAS workers via their mobile phones. | For more than three hours, all of its calls were diverted to ambulance staff in Scotland, who then contacted NIAS workers via their mobile phones. |
| It is understood the problem began at about 19:30 GMT and all NIAS telephone land lines and computers were affected. | It is understood the problem began at about 19:30 GMT and all NIAS telephone land lines and computers were affected. |
| The issue was resolved shortly after 22:40 GMT. | The issue was resolved shortly after 22:40 GMT. |
| NIAS spokesman John McPoland told the BBC that a back-up electricity generator had failed. | |
| "We do check our generators on a regular basis and we need to know why they failed on Friday," he said. | |
| "There were delays of minutes but no major impact on call-outs." | |
| Mr McPoland said using the ambulance service in Scotland has been a long established contingency plan. | |
| "It's part of a buddy-system and works both ways, about two years ago we were called on to do the same for them," he said. | |
| "Additionally, any calls that didn't get through to Scotland would have gone through to the PSNI call centre." | |
| There have been problems with the electricity network across Northern Ireland due to heavy snow and strong winds. | There have been problems with the electricity network across Northern Ireland due to heavy snow and strong winds. |
| Thousands of customers across eastern and northern areas have been without power since Friday. | Thousands of customers across eastern and northern areas have been without power since Friday. |
| BT also said in a statement that weather conditions had caused "considerable damage" to its network. | BT also said in a statement that weather conditions had caused "considerable damage" to its network. |