Residents assured they can call 911 from cellphones

A recent media report discouraged the public from using cellphones to dial 911. In the article, the writer stated that 911 calls from cellphones, for now, "will still go through the highway patrol." This was inaccurate.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, while the majority of wireless 911 calls may go to the California Highway Patrol, many wireless 911 calls are selectively routed directly to the appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP), or 911 center, bypassing CHP entirely.

Calling 911 from a cellphone may actually reduce the response time of law enforcement, fire or emergency medical services, especially in those cases where the wireless 911 call is selectively routed to the appropriate PSAP.

Additionally, in Ventura County, many PSAPs have upgraded their equipment so the 911 call-takers can view the caller's location.

The PSAP managers in Ventura County have been working closely with the state's 911 office, the CHP and wireless service providers for several years to enhance the efficiency of the 911 system by identifying cell sectors that are best suited to selectively route wireless 911 calls directly to the appropriate PSAP.

Whenever a new wireless service provider enters Ventura County or an existing service adds cell sites, the PSAP managers review coverage maps to determine which agency should receive the wireless 911 calls from each cell sector. This has resulted in increased efficiencies and, in many cases, has reduced 911 call processing and response times.

The 911 number is a valuable tool and the public should use it whenever they need assistance from law enforcement, fire or emergency medical services.