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Important Information about 911 Calling

WIRELESS 911

Recently the question came up regarding the use of 9-1-1 and the speed of a response. As a note to our members, and as a concern for public safety, I was asked to write about the most effective way to use 9-1-1 on a cell phone.

 

The first thing to understand is that unlike our home phones that automatically connect with the local emergency dispatch center (in this case, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office), cellular phones do NOT connect to the nearest local dispatch center. 9-1-1 calls made via cell phone are connected to the nearest CHP dispatch center. For Glenn County residents this usually means that a 9-1-1 call via cell phone will be answered by the CHP’s Chico Dispatch Center. However, sometimes these calls can be routed through to Redding or even Sacramento.

 

In an emergency, seconds can count. In Glenn County we are fortunate to have qualified professional and volunteer medical personnel spread throughout the county. Response time is very swift once the call has gone out. However, before medical or law enforcement personnel can respond, they have to receive the call.

 

When a local emergency call made by cellular 9-1-1 is routed through the CHP office, the local CHP office must then determine the nearest local emergency dispatch center to the caller. This requires identifying the caller’s location and the local jurisdiction, finding the appropriate number, and then transferring the call to the local dispatch center. This delay results in a loss of information, a delayed response, and the possibility that the call will get “dropped”, or cut off. The delay caused by this can seem tremendous and might require repeating information multiple times as the call is transferred again.

 

Here are some of the FCC’s recommendations when using your cell phone for 9-1-1:

·         Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away.

·         Give the emergency operator your wireless phone number so that if the call gets disconnected, the operator can call you back.

·         If your wireless phone is not “initialized” (i.e., you do not have a contract for service with a wireless service provider), and your emergency call gets disconnected, you must call the emergency operator back because he or she does not have your telephone number and cannot contact you.

·         Refrain from programming your phone to automatically dial 911 when one button, such as the “9” key, is pressed. Unintentional wireless 911 calls, which often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, cause problems for emergency services call centers.

·         If your wireless phone came preprogrammed with the auto-dial 911 feature already turned on, turn off this feature. Check your user manual to find out how.

·         Lock your keypad when you’re not using your wireless phone. This action also prevents accidental calls to 911.

In addition to these recommendations, I recommend the following:

 

  • Preprogram at least one law enforcement emergency number for your local law enforcement agency. For Willows: 934-3456, for Orland: 865-1616, and for county jurisdictions: 934-6431. After hours these numbers automatically roll over to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office so there will ALWAYS be someone familiar with your area at these numbers.

 

  • Preprogram an emergency number for the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office at 934-6431.

 

In the event that an emergency is passed into or through the Sheriff’s Dispatch Center, the Dispatchers have the capability to immediately transfer your call to the appropriate medical or fire personnel, and they can begin to send aid to your location even as you are explaining the nature of the emergency to them and the medical or fire dispatcher.

 

Remember, when speaking to the Dispatchers about ANYTHING, their job is to gather information to assist responding officers and medical personnel. In an emergency it is important to remain calm, and pass on the information requested by the Dispatchers.

 

It is important to note that the state of California is working toward a system that will route cellular 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate local dispatch center rather than the CHP, but such a system is not yet implemented. Even when implemented, it is expected that precious time will be spent as each call is routed and re-routed before it reaches the appropriate destination.

 

So, do yourself and your community a favor and save two special numbers on your cellular phone: Medical and 9-1-1 emergencies at the GCSO at 934-6431; and, local law enforcement calls using 934-3456 for Willows, 865-1616 for Orland, and 934-6431 for the GCSO.

 

Safety and peace to all.

 

Carl Walter