Since this labor impasse began, FairPoint's networks and equipment have failed with increasing frequency and complaints from the company's customers have soared. We are particularly alarmed that problems with FairPoint's network have caused service outages for police departments, fire departments, and other critical public safety agencies across both New Hampshire and Vermont. For example, a November 28 hardware failure – that was unrelated to weather events – caused an almost six-hour outage of Vermont's E-911 system. FairPoint's failure to report, respond and repair the equipment failure in a timely manner resulted in more than 80 missed calls from Vermonters to emergency dispatchers at the State Police, Montpelier City Police, and Vermont Gas, potentially endangering lives and property across the state. As a result of this outage, the Vermont Department of Public Service has initiated a service quality investigation.