Cut line interrupts phone service

GARDNERVILLE - Emergency 911, phone and Internet service was restored to most of Douglas County on Wednesday evening after a fiber optic cable break disrupted service throughout the county and parts of Carson City, Lyon and Alpine counties.

The outage was traced to a fiber optic cable break along Heybourne Road north of Stephanie Way.

According Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Halsey, the cable was cut at 11:13 a.m. by contract crews working on a water line project in the area.

The outage affected telephone and cellular services, including 911 communications capability in all of Douglas County and parts of Lyon County, Carson City, and Alpine County.

Crews from Frontier Communica-tions responded to the location of the severed cable and began repairs at approximately 12:50 p.m., Halsey said.

All East Fork and Tahoe Douglas Fire Stations were staffed with additional personnel, as the public was informed to go to the nearest fire station to report any emergencies. Additional law enforcement staff was summoned from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, and extra roving patrols were instituted.

Communications between critical infrastructure, such as medical facilities, schools, banks, and some industrial sites were maintained through radio communications or an available phone line, which still allowed for direct access to Douglas County Communications.

Douglas County Amateur Radio Team also assisted with making communications connections with Lyon County and some local facilities.