Tennessee Emergency Services Still Hamstrung by Blast

The Daily Herald, Columbia, Tenn.

Emergency responders and service providers in southern Middle Tennessee continue to navigate internet and phone service outages following Friday's bombing in downtown Nashville.

Maury County's emergency communications department issued a statement Sunday morning explaining that the county's regular emergency lines were still down, offering alternative numbers to contact the region's first responders.

"While some of you may have had your AT&T service restored, we are still experiencing issues with receiving 911 calls through the 911 system," the department said in a statement posted on social media.

In case of an emergency, those in need of assistance in the Maury County area should call (931) 982-8137 and (931) 982-8136.

With emergency lines also down in Williamson County, the Spring Hill Police Department called on residents to dial (615) 790-5550 or (615) 790-5801 until further notice.

"(The Columbia government) remains in full operation and communication," Mayor Chaz Molder said on Christmas Day. "Our E-911 services have been rerouted and are intact."

"Grateful for our emergency management team and workers on this Christmas Day," Molder added. "We pray for our friends and neighbors in Metro Nashville. We've got your back."

Emergency and utility services across the region remain impacted

The Columbia Power and Water System issued a notification stated that the service did experience an interruption in internet access and customers will "continue to experience slower speeds until the issue can be resolved."

"Thank you for your patience as we continue working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible," the service told customers over the weekend.

Phone lines at the Duck River Electric Membership Cooperation continued to remain down, leading the regional provider to establish a temporary number for any service requests and outage reports.

Joining retailers across the state, the membership also said that ongoing connectivity issue have led to intermittent interruptions to the its online billing services.

"Please call or visit the drive-thru of your local office Monday for assistance with bill pay. Thank you for your understanding," the cooperative said.

Emergency services in Lawrence County also reported similar issues calling on residents to dial (931) 762-2523, if calling 911 does not work.

"At this point no one knows how long we will be without service," the Lawrence County Government said in a statement shared on Saturday.

"Emergency personnel have been working throughout the night to develop a source of communication," the department said. "Again, please try to call 911 first to get the most rapid response. Use the alternate emergency plan if your call is unsuccessful."

Emergency responders in neighboring Marshall County also reported outages to its emergency lines. Residents are encouraged to call (931) 359-6122 option 0 or (931) 359-4044 option 3 for police, fire, EMS or the Marshall County Sheriff's Department.

"This is in effect until further notice," Marshall County Emergency Communications said in a statement shared over the weekend.

The Hohenwald Police Department in Lewis County continues to report outages to its emergency lines.

In case of an emergency, residents are encouraged to contact the department's dispatch office at (931) 796-3616.

"We are sorry any inconvenience," the department said.

The line is being used as a connection to the local police department, the Lewis County Sheriff's Department and the local ambulance service.

In Giles County, residents have been told to dial (931) 363-0911 to speak with the county's dispatchers.

Emergency responders in Hickman Couty also report that emergency lines are down.

Hickman County Emergency Management calls on the public to dial (931) 729-6143 and (931) 716-0625 for the city's police and sheriff's  departments.

For the local ambulance service or the fire department, call (931) 994-8943.

"There is a lot of disruption that is still out there," said Jim Tanner, the director of the Hickman County Emergency Management.

"Plan for this disruption for the next few days," Tanner added. "Pray for the city of Nashville as they are working through this. It is time to put away our differences."