FAQ - Can I call 9-1-1 from a Cellular Phone?
Question: Can I call 9-1-1 from a Cellular Phone?
Answer: Yes you can. We would prefer that you use a regular wired phone if possible, but if circumstances dictate that you use a cellular phone to call, you need to know the following:
All calls to 9-1-1 made from cellular phones are currently routed to the California Highway Patrol Dispatch Center in Vallejo.
They will assess the incident and if warranted, will transfer the caller to the local police or fire department that has jurisdiction over the incident being reported.
As of this writing, only the phone number of the cell phone (if not blocked by the subscriber, which many are) and a general City location of the cell tower picking up the call are seen by the CHP dispatchers.
No information regarding the location of where the phone is located, or where the incident is happening is displayed, and none of this information is transferred when the call gets forwarded to a local police or fire dispatch center.
If the call gets disconnected before the dispatcher is able to obtain this information, well..I'm sure you can imagine the difficult task it will be to find a caller without such important information.
Having a secondary phone number programmed into your cell phone is a good idea! 650-573-3333 is the seven digit emergency number for Foster City. It is answered at the police department communications center by a staff of highly skilled dispatchers; the same ones that answer your 9-1-1 calls made from regular phones located in Foster City. Please keep in mind that when calling 573-3333; no information about the phone number or location of the incident is available to the dispatcher. Please use this secondary number only if the incident you are reporting is occurring within Foster City.
This FAQ refers to the following subjects:
Services/Public Safety/Police
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