CARBON COUNTY — A cell tower malfunction left Red Lodge and surrounding communities without cell service for close to two days, raising concerns about emergency communications in an area that had just experienced its first wildfire of the year weeks earlier.
Phones across the region displayed SOS instead of signal bars beginning Friday morning, bringing daily life to a halt for residents like Jeannine Spencer.
Click here to hear what residents had to say:
"Everything came to a standstill," Spencer said Monday afternoon. "You almost felt like you were on a deserted island."
Spencer said it was a harsh realization figuring out how reliant she was on her device.
"It's amazing how life can come to standstill because your cell phone's not working," Spencer said. "It's kind of sad and scary."
The outage left a lasting impact across the region. In nearby Roberts, small business owner Allen Struber experienced a reception blackout.
"You don't plan on not having cell phone for 36 hours," Stuber said.
Stuber's business, Strawbery Patch Frames, creates personalized frames for artwork or family photos with meetings scheduled over the phone.
"I work by appointments only, so it's like 100 percent of my business," Stuber said. "For 36 hours, I didn't have any communication whatsoever."
But for Stuber, lost business was secondary to a bigger worry.
"I was kind of worried about the 9-1-1 system," Stuber said.
That concern was shared widely across the community, particularly in the wake of the East Side fire, which burned 1,200 acres south of Red Lodge and forced evacuations a couple weeks ago.
"God forbid there was an emergency," Spencer said.
Red Lodge Fire Chief Tom Kuntz said his department, like most residents, relies heavily on cell phones.
"As we move forward in technology, so many people rely heavily on their phones," Kuntz said. "It's a very important part of how we connect with our volunteers even in emergency situations."
Kuntz said the department is prepared for situations like this. All staff are equipped with a pager and a radio, and evacuations are primarily handled by knocking on doors to ensure safety.
Cell service itself also has a built-in emergency backup, Kuntz said.
"If you dial 9-1-1, even if your carrier is not working, it will default to any carrier that is available," Kuntz said.
Spencer said she was grateful for the safety protocol in place, but admitted that the outage served as a stark reminder of how dependent she has become on her device.
"It's a lesson learned about how dependent we have become on this thing in our pockets," Spencer said.
