Extra

Posted Mon., April 28—A power outage affecting some 300 AT&T phone customers interrupted phone service at a number of Berkeley offices this morning, according to Public Information Officer Mary Kay Clunies-Ross. By 2 p.m. all phones and services were back on line. 

Information Technology Department Director Donna LaSala told the Planet that AT&T had been especially responsive during this outage, which was reported by city staff at 8 a.m. “Once we started banging on their doors, we got updates every half hour,” she told the Planet. 

“Everybody still has a way to call 911 if there’s an emergency,” Clunies-Ross told the Planet during the outage. “Each location has an analog line.” Only the digital lines were affected, she said, adding that the fire stations have radio backup for emergency purposes. 

“It doesn’t have any effect on fire services,” Deputy Fire Chief Gill Dong told the Planet, noting that in addition to radio communication, each fire apparatus is equipped with a cellular phone. 

At locations where there are outages, the phone rings and is picked up by an answering device.  

Alan Bern of the Berkeley Public Library noted, however, that the library experienced particular problems. People cannot search the catalogues or reserve computers at the West, South and North branch libraries, functions that are done digitally. “It’s a problem,” he told the Planet. 

As of noon on Monday, the city offices impacted were: the Public Health Clinic on University Ave., the Animal Shelter on Second Street, the Fire Stations on Eighth and Russell streets and on Shattuck Ave., the police substation on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the North and South Berkeley Senior Centers, and the West, South and North Branches of the library. 

David Lin, AT&T public relations manager, did not return calls for comment.