Pender County, NC—At last night's board meeting, the Pender County Board of Commissioners recognized the exceptional service of Pender County IT and Pender County 911. The recognition came in the wake of a critical incident that occurred in the early hours of July 19, 2024, when the Pender County 911 center experienced a total outage of its CAD and telephone systems at approximately 1 a.m.
Despite the severity of the situation, 911 personnel swiftly implemented contingency plans, ensuring uninterrupted 911 service for our citizens. As the morning progressed, it became apparent that the Sheriff's Office was also experiencing issues with its computer systems. The 911 center promptly contacted the Pender County IT department, led by IT Director Marcel Miranda, and the IT staff, including Noah Hoffer, Pender EMS and Fire IT Director, mobilized quickly to restore functionality.
The root cause of the issue was identified as a software update related to the county's endpoint protection solution, which had been pushed out by the vendor. This update resulted in a bluescreen error, rendering computers inaccessible. Fortunately, it was not a cyber attack. The issue was later found to have affected many organizations on a national and global scale, causing significant disruptions such as flight delays and other major issues.
The IT team worked tirelessly throughout the night, morning, and all day on Friday to ensure that all departments and county employees' computers were functioning properly. Their efforts were so effective that the County Manager's Office did not receive a single complaint during the crisis. Instead, numerous compliments were received about how well the 911 center and the IT team managed the situation.
Sheriff Cutler and Major Collier were among the first to commend these teams on the morning of July 19th. Assistant County Manager Allen Vann expressed gratitude for the dedication and professionalism of Pender County staff. Chair George, along with the rest of the Pender County Board of Commissioners, extended their thanks to the staff, with Chair George humorously cautioning, “Don't let Delta take you away.”
Pender County is fortunate to have such committed and skilled personnel who work diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of our community, especially in times of crisis.