Dispatch FAQ's

The main questions to be prepared to answer when calling 9-1-1 are:

What is the address of the emergency? 

What kind of emergency are you reporting?

Is this occurring now? If not, when did it occur?

Is anyone injured?     Does anyone need medical attention?

Are there any weapons involved?

Who is involved?  Be prepared to give descriptions

If you mistakenly call 911, please do not hang up before the operator answers.  The call is still entered into our system and the dispatcher is required to call back and or send help for the call.  The time spent calling people back who have inadvertently dialed 911 takes time away from those who need emergency help.

The Walnut Creek Police Department offers online reporting for a variety of types of calls that are NOT in-progress.  You can submit an online report for the listed types of calls as long as there is no suspect description and there is no immediate danger to persons or property.  Please follow the link to the online crime reporting page to see if you can make your report online.

Dispatchers are not able to give exact times for officer response as we dispatch based on priority.  We cannot account for any emergency calls that may come in and delay response to other pending calls.  Dispatch does our best to send officers as soon as one is available.

Cell phones can be an important and useful tool for public safety and emergencies, but they also create a unique challenge for emergency response personnel.  The exact location of a caller who dials 9-1-1 from a cell phone cannot be determined; therefore, it is essential that you stay on the line and clearly give your location to the 9-1-1 Operator.

VOIP service has it's advantages, free long distance, cheaper options than phone or cell service, however, VOIP calls present problems for 911 answering centers and can often be mis-routed or have the wrong address information. 

VOIP subscribers should consider precautionary steps to ensure their safety when emergency services are needed.

Keep a land line telephone installed in your house (with minimal services) so you can still receive 911 services and have a backup for power outages or internet difficulties.

Know the 911 capabilities of your VOIP provider and make sure to register your account with the physical location where the phone will be used so it can be entered into the local 911 system.

Attempt to test your VOIP through your local 911 center; call the business line to make sure it is a good time to try a test.

Make sure you update your address information when you move

Keep your family informed of the limitations of VOIP

The best way to make sure the 911 operator has your exact location is to stay on the line and clearly give the information; don't rely on the automated information.