COLUMBUS, Ohio — Several sheriff’s offices across Ohio reported phone and internet outages Friday, disrupting non‑emergency communication lines while leaving 911 service intact.
In Ross County, Sheriff George Lavender said his office is experiencing an internet outage affecting its landline phones. “For non‑emergency contact to my dispatch center, please call 740‑253‑0065. For emergencies, 911 is still operational,” Lavender said in a public notice. He added that updates will be provided once systems are restored.
Earlier in the day, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office issued an identical alert, also citing an internet outage that disabled its office landlines.
No statewide advisory has been issued, and officials have not said what caused the outages or how widespread the disruptions may be.
Update:
- The Chillicothe Police Department is also experiencing intermittent outages.
- Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth issued a statement to the Guardian saying, “We were impacted by the outage, and we are investigating its cause. For now, our lines are back up and running.”
- At 1:46 PM, Ross County Dispatch said phones were also back up and operational. No cause has been released. The Guardian reached out to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but we have yet to hear back from them.