All phone lines at the West Shore RCMP detachment, including 911, were down for most of the afternoon Wednesday.
Sgt. Martin Beardsmore said when there is an issue with 911 calls, they are supposed to automatically default to Victoria Police, who alert the West Shore RCMP if there are calls of an emergency nature.
The default system was operational within a matter of minutes, and Telus is currently dealing with the issue, he said, adding that it is his understanding that some nearby businesses were affected as well.