In the City of Sonoma where your 9-1-1 call goes depends upon where you place the phone call:
Standard Phone (Landline)
- If you call from a home or business phone in the City of Sonoma, your 9-1-1 call first goes to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center since the City of Sonoma contracts with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services. The dispatcher will ask you the type of emergency (i.e. Police, Fire or Medical Emergency).
- If your emergency involves a fire or medical problem, your call will be immediately transferred to the RedCom Dispatch Center.
When you call 9-1-1 from a home or residence, your number and address may be displayed on a computer screen for the emergency call taker. This information helps City emergency crews respond more efficiently to your problem.
Cell Phone
- If you call from a cell phone, your call is directed to the 9-1-1 dispatch center closest to your current location or, in some cases, to the California Highway Patrol. Again, the call taker will ask you the nature of your emergency and will forward your call to the appropriate agency.
Be aware, when you call on your cell phone, the dispatcher may not be able to detect your location as with a residential or business 9-1-1 call. It’s important to know your location when calling on a cell phone. In order for your cell phone to send your location to the dispatch center, callers need to activate their telephone GPS settings so the GPS module can pass along the caller location. Citizens should contact their service providers for detailed instructions.
We also recommend you program our 24-hour non-emergency phone number into your cell phone. That number is 996-3602.