Orcas residents who were alarmed at the disappearance of the Orcas sheriff phone number with the 376 prefix can rest assured: nothing has really changed.

In the past, numbers with 376- and 468- prefixes were offered for Orcas and Lopez islanders – but those numbers all rang on a central, shared phone line in Friday Harbor.

“You never could call directly to the Orcas substation or the Lopez substation,” said Sheriff Cumming. He said that recent changes at the phone company simply consolidated the three numbers.

To reach the Friday Harbor sheriff’s dispatch office from anywhere in San Juan County regarding non-emergencies, call 378-4151. For emergencies, as always, call 911.