Update on Sedgwick County Response to Global Technology Disruption

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – As of 3 p.m. today, Sedgwick County has restored 95% of its computer systems to normal operations, following a massive technology outage last night around 11:30 p.m. The global disruption was caused by a faulty CrossStrike update to computers running MicroSoft Windows - software used by up to 80% of Sedgwick County’s computers.

“Our IT experts have worked non-stop ever since the outage to manually reset computers one by one in 40+ departments across the County,” said Mike Elpers, Chief Information Officer, Sedgwick County Division of Information Technology. “It was a huge job, but the team and departmental staff worked together quickly and efficiently.”

Sedgwick County’s top priority is always Public Safety. Even though the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) went down after midnight, it did not disrupt phone or radio communications, or disrupt responses to calls by first responders. Emergency Communications staff continued taking calls and dispatching appropriate resources to calls for assistance. 9-1-1 staff manually logged calls on their paper call entry forms and then input that information into the system once CAD came back online about 7:30 a.m.

The Sedgwick County Treasurer’s Office has resumed normal operations, but the three tag offices remain closed because of a continuing outage at the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). Updates will be posted to social media when the tag offices will reopen.

The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) had to suspend inspections and the issuance of new permits for several hours this morning but has regained access to its files. All appointments missed today will be rescheduled.

Sedgwick County appreciates the patience of citizens and its employees as we work through any remaining computer issues.

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