IT failure plunges Qld emergency services into chaos

Queensland emergency services have been plunged into chaos by an IT failure causing various departments to be unable to communicate via email.

Sources say the email system between police, ambulance and fire service departments has been down since before midnight on Wednesday.

Queensland emergency services have been plunged into chaos by an IT failure.

Sources say the email system between police, ambulance and fire service departments has been down since before midnight on Wednesday.

It’s understood Queensland Health and the Inspector-General Emergency Management are also affected, with departments unable to communicate via email.

Other IT systems are also believed to have been impacted.

The email crash is not believed to have impacted emergency responses as yet but sources say it has caused widespread chaos, including police being unable to communicate with courts.

It’s the second time the email system has failed, after a botched upgrade in 2018 caused similar problems.

In a statement texted to The Courier-Mail, a PSBA spokeswoman confirmed there was ‘an issue with intermittent delays to some emails reaching recipients in the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service and Queensland Ambulance Service’.

“Investigations across a number of possible causes are continuing,” a spokeswoman said.

“We are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Regular updates are being provided to affected agencies.”