Vehicle hits Sitka utility line, disrupting 911 calls for some providers

911 Access Disrupted for Some Sitka Phone Customers

Some Sitka phone customers cannot reach 911. Police are asking them to call dispatch directly at 907-747-3245 instead.

The Sitka Police Department responded at about 11:30 a.m. Friday after a vehicle struck a utility line. The department said the damage is affecting telecommunications and "will be impacting the ability to reach emergency services through some phone providers until the line is repaired."

Callers who get a busy signal, or whose call does not connect, should try another method. The department listed analog landlines, digital landlines and VoIP service, and mobile phones as alternatives. It also advised trying again from a different provider or a different location.

"We have been informed that telecommunications crews are actively working on the issue," the department said. The department gave no estimated repair time.

Sitka Dispatch operates around the clock. It answers both 911 and the 907-747-3245 line.

An Alaska News article last week reported that 11 islands off Sitka were scheduled to lose power from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday while crews replace an underwater electrical cable across Sitka Channel. The city has not connected the two events.