Burst pipe cause flooding at Abilene Police Department

ABILENE, Texas — A burst underground pipe for its fire suppression system caused the Abilene Police Department to quickly move its dispatch center to an alternate location Monday.

The APD said Monday afternoon, the system burst, causing significant flooding and water damage throughout much of its building. No other City facilities were affected.

The department's dispatch center operations were quickly moved to the Emergency Operations Center at City Hall and the APD said the transition was seamless. Emergency services went uninterrupted thanks to the swift actions taken by on duty telecommunicators and officers.

Multiple City divisions including facilities, fire, water, communication services and information technology responded and provided critical assistance.

The department contacted professional cleaning and restoration technicians to begin the lengthy recovery process. Many offices and meeting rooms are unusable and personnel will be relocated for an extended period of time.

The extent of the damages is still being assessed, but the department said it anticipates it will be months before they are able to return the facility to normal operations.

The department's front lobby was unaffected and remains open to the public during regular business hours.