Telephone line (copper wire) theft causes wide outage

   According to Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputies, a major AT&T line in La Grange was stolen by vandals sometime in the early morning hours of April 22, 2015.

   Per the report, large sections of telephone wire were taken, knocking out service in the La Grange area.

   While cutting the copper, the thieves also severed a fiber optic line and damaged poled, causing a failure in communication to 911 centers in Tuolumne, Mariposa and Stanislaus Counties.

   Customers were not able to make telephone calls from landlines and in addition it had some affect on cell phone service.

   AT&T responded immediately to make the necessary repairs to fix the damaged telephone wire and service was restored at 10:15 PM that night.

   A contingency plan was developed by Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services for continued service throughout the day, which included representatives from Stanislaus County law enforcement, fire and Regional 911 Dispatch to respond to La Grange.

   Authorities from Tuolumne and Mariposa County joined the Stanislaus team and established unified command in a mobile command post.

   They staffed a temporary call center to receive any requests for emergency services from the residents affected by the loss of telephone coverage.

   The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office has also started an investigation into the theft of the telephone wire.

   It is not know at the time the cost to repair the damage caused by the thieves or how many customers were affected by the loss of telephone service.

   Copper wire is commonly stolen by drug addicts and salvaged for money to fuel their addiction.

   Sheriff Christianson said, "This cowardly act of theft and vandalism placed the community at risk, leaving the residents without 911 services and telephone communications.

   We will work diligently to identify those thieves and hold them accountable.  We're asking for the public's help in identifying those responsible by calling the Sheriff's Office or CrimeStoppers with any information."

   The immediate response by all agencies to this incident made it possible to quickly establish a plan and implement a temporary solution, which minimized the impacts due to the loss of 911 services to the residents of La Grange until AT&T could make full repairs.

   Chief Dale Skiles, Stanislaus County Fire Warden - Assistant Director of Emergency Services, stated, "Our public safety agencies in Stanislaus County are committed to planning, preparing and in this case, responding together to help keep our residents safe..

   We would like to thank AT&T for their rapid response and their collaborative work with us on this incident.

   We appreciated their efforts in making this incident a priority and restoring telephone services to the residents of La Grange."

    If you have any information on the theft please call Detective Cody Williams at 209-525-7057. Anonymous tips can be left at 209-521-4636. You could be eligible for a cash reward.