Golden Gate Division


Welcome to the Golden Gate Division Communications Center

Who we are: The Golden Gate Communications Center is a 24/7 operation, located in Vallejo, California. We serve the nine counties that make up the San Francisco Bay Area – Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.

What we do: Our 110 Public Safety Dispatchers (radio operators), 24 Public Safety Operators (telephone operators), 18 Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor I and 5 Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor II answer, on average, 129,448 wireless 9-1-1 calls per month. This is in addition to answering 17,500 public information and allied agency calls per month and providing dispatch service to our 12 California Highway Patrol Area offices.

What's the 4-1-1 on 9-1-1?

Q. What is 9-1-1?
A. 9-1-1 is the free 24 hour universal number for emergency response by ambulance, police and fire and should never be used for non-emergency purposes.
 
Q. Can you define “Emergency”?
A. An emergency is an immediate threat to life or property requiring an emergency response.
 
Q. When should I call?
A. For lots of reasons! Call 9-1-1 to report a fire, medical emergency or to stop a crime. This includes reckless or drunk driving, a child abduction, someone acting suspiciously or breaking into a building. You should also call to report vehicle accidents and stalled vehicles or debris in the roadway.
 
Q. When SHOULDN’T I call?
A. Do not use 9-1-1 to report power, telephone, cable or water outages, abandoned vehicles or other parking issues, vandalism, loud parties or noisy pets. Never use 9-1-1 to ask for directions or for traffic and road conditions and NEVER, EVER as a joke; it’s illegal and you may be prosecuted.
 
Q. When I dial 9-1-1 on my cell phone, who answers?
A. Well, that depends. When a wireless 9-1-1 call is made from a cell phone, that call is transmitted to the nearest cell tower. The cell tower then sends the call to the Public Safety Answering Point designated to receive wireless 9-1-1 from that area.
 
Q. What’s with all the questions when I call?
A. We require basic information when you call. You must be able to tell us your location and give a brief description of the emergency. We will ask for your name and the telephone number from which you are calling. Be patient and remain calm, the details are important.
 
Q. Why don’t you know where I am when I use my cell phone?
A. Cell phones are convenient, however you must understand their service limitations; they don’t always provide your location. Based on the technology used, if a location is received, it may not be precise and we will need more information from you.
 
Q. It’s 9-1-1, why doesn’t someone answer on the first ring?
A. Delays may be experienced when dispatchers receive an influx of calls for the same incident, or when they have difficulty obtaining a correct location of an incident or when translation services are needed. Delays also occur due to intentional misuse of 9-1-1 – it’s against the law!


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