Wheelersburg —Frontier customers in the Wheelersburg area have experienced four separate telephone service disruptions during the past few weeks due to vandalism and theft of the company’s equipment. The incidents have taken place on Old Gallia Pike near Big Sandy, and in Franklin Furnace.

Damage to Frontier’s facilities affects communications access in an emergency and disrupts community phone and broadband connections. As a result, public safety is jeopardized, especially if customers are unable to make emergency calls to 911.

Frontier is seeking help from the public in stopping this vandalism.

If anyone has seen any suspicious behavior or vehicles in the Old Gallia Pike area that might be connected with these events call the Company’s Security Hotline, 1-800-590-6605. This toll free line is staffed around the clock by security personnel. All calls will be handled in a confidential manner. Anonymous information will also be accepted.

If you see an active case of vandalism, please call 911 immediately to report the incident, and then call Frontier Security.

The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the thefts and pursuing the perpetrator(s). Sheriff patrols have increased in the area, and Frontier has also increased its own surveillance.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has also been notified of the thefts.

“Frontier needs the public’s help to keep an eye out for suspicious activities around utility poles, our pedestals and boxes, remote terminals and central offices in order to ensure that our communications services remain intact,” said Dave George, Frontier’s general manager.

“Frontier technicians are always in marked vehicles and have Frontier red picture ID badges. If you see or have seen any suspicious vehicles or persons around our equipment, that don’t fit that description, please call 911 and the toll-free hotline.”

“Our concern is not only leaving the public unprotected with no communications service, including access to 9-1-1, but the vandals don’t seem to understand that they are putting their own lives in danger by going near our telephone wires. There have been a few vandals who have lost their lives from electrocution while trying to take down telephone lines,” said George.

“It takes a considerable amount of time to restore service when the cable is stolen and unfortunately we have had multiple incidents of stolen cable. The public can help minimize these situations by reporting any activity around our cables and poles that looks suspicious.”

In many cases, authorities believe that the perpetrators of this type of crime are taking these desperate measures to feed a drug habit.

Frontier and others in the industry believe that copper theft presents a national security issue, as damage to the telecommunications network could put the public at significant risk during the time of an emergency.

The Department of Homeland Security considers telecommunications a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure.

“Frontier has zero tolerance for vandalism or sabotage against our network, and we are aggressive about finding those who disrupt service and endanger the public,” said Lynne Monaco, Frontier’s corporate director of safety and security. “We work closely with law enforcement and the courts to ensure that anyone who interferes with the delivery of services to our customers is found and charged to the fullest extent of the law. Our all-out effort has resulted in numerous arrests in 2010. Frontier will always seek restitution from those convicted for the full cost of the damage caused.”