Bradford County residents got an unwelcome alert Thursday evening: the sheriff’s office phone lines were on the fritz, and some callers could not get through to the communications center. Officials told anyone facing an emergency to call 911, while people with non-emergency issues were urged to use backup numbers instead. The warning came from Sheriff Gordon Smith and was shared on the department’s Facebook page.
How To Reach Dispatch During The Outage
According to Sheriff Gordon Smith, AT&T callers should use 904-368-3939 for non-emergency calls to the communications center, while Verizon and other carriers may still be able to use 904-966-6161. The message stresses that true emergencies must still go through 911. It also notes that if 904-966-6161 returns a busy signal or an error message, callers should switch to 904-368-3939.
Dispatch Contact And Recent Context
The Bradford County Sheriff's Office lists 904-966-6161 as the county's non-emergency dispatch line on its Combined Dispatch Center page, which handles both 911 and non-emergency calls for Bradford County. Similar disruptions have hit the area before. In 2024, Action News Jax reported that CenturyLink issues left some residents unable to reach dispatch, a reminder that carrier or wiring problems can suddenly cut off standard landline routes and force agencies to fall back on alternate numbers and social media updates.
What Residents Should Do
If you face a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately and do not rely on non-emergency lines. For non-urgent reports, try 904-966-6161 first and, if you cannot connect, call 904-368-3939. Officials are asking residents to stay patient while technicians work to restore full service. The sheriff's office said it will share updates through its official channels, including Sheriff Gordon Smith.
