9-1-1 Calling Procedures

The Dispatcher/Jailer will determine if the Signal Hill Police Department is the appropriate agency to handle your call or if your call should be transferred to another agency, such as the Long Beach Police Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, or California Highway Patrol.

The dispatcher will ask you a series of questions. These questions are critical and designed to determine what level of crime, if any, has occurred. These questions also provide the field units with critical safety information, such as the description of the suspect, weapons used/seen, location of the suspect, direction of travel, and if anyone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The dispatcher can also determine if paramedics are needed.

While talking with the dispatcher, there may be short periods of silence during which the dispatcher is communicating with field units. The dispatcher who answers your call is the same dispatcher communicating with patrol units in the field, providing critical information to the field officers almost instantaneously.

Please remember to remain calm, listen carefully to what the dispatcher is saying, answer all questions as briefly and accurately as possible, and remain on the line until the dispatcher tells you it is okay to hang up.

If you dial 911 for a non-emergency, you will be asked to hang up and dial 562-989-7201. This ensures that the 911 lines are open and available for emergency calls.