PREVIOUSLY:

Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

On 09-03-2015 at approximately 10:30 AM the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office experienced a disruption of telephone (9-1-1, land-line and cellular) and internet services throughout Mendocino County.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office began working with other allied public safety agencies (Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services to include Coastal Valley EMS) and the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Operations Center was opened.

During this time, a limited amount of communication methods were able to be put into place for the various public safety agencies to be able to receive and respond to public emergencies as needed.

Calls into 9-1-1 were re-routed to the CALFIRE Howard Forest dispatch center for distribution to local public safety dispatch centers affected by the 9-1-1 service disruption.

The CALFIRE Howard Forest dispatch center had been previously designated as a secondary dispatch center when one or more allied dispatch centers experience a disruption of 9-1-1 services or abilities.

On 09-03-2015 at 6:30 PM a Deputy with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to contact representatives with AT&T in the Burke Hill area of Ukiah, California.

Upon arrival the Deputy learned AT&T had experienced a sudden disruption of fiber optic services on 09-03-2015 at approximately10:30 AM.

This service disruption affected telephone (9-1-1, land-line and cellular) and internet services for Mendocino County.

Immediate efforts were made by AT&T to locate the cause and location of the disruption, which was ultimately determined to be in a rural area approximately 1.5 miles south of Burke Hill Road in Ukiah, California.

Upon inspection of this area it was determined the fiber optic line that was located above ground had been cut apart.

At this time it is suspected the damage was caused as an intentional act of vandalism.

On 09-04-2015 at approximately 3:00 AM the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office noted a return of telephone services to their 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center.

This incident is still under investigation and anyone with information that might assist in the identification of any suspect(s) is urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.