Getting Answers: What is causing a delay in 911 call response time in Solano County?
SOLANO COUNTY - A dispatcher disconnect is causing a delay in response time to 911 calls in Solano County. A recent Grand Jury report said there is fractured communication between agencies, which puts people at risk.
Solano County has a population of about 450,000 people, made up of seven cities with six dispatch centers. The challenge is getting connected to the correct agency when you dial 911.
"This isn't a people problem, this is a systems problem," said Fairfield Fire Chief Matt Luckenbach.
Luckenbach said that is because your emergency call first goes to a public safety answering point, then to one of the six-county dispatch centers and then to the correct unit to respond.
"Any of those delays just add to the delay for us getting notified, us getting dressed and us getting to the call," said Luckenbach.
Juanita Luna lives in Solano County and has seen this firsthand. She told CBS13 she called in about a drunk driver in Dixon once.
"It was maybe half an hour, 45 minutes and we never saw anyone," said Luna.
The grand jury and first responders like Luckenbach said the solution is a single-county dispatch center. The challenge is finding the funding to make it happen.
"It is terrible to realize we are not as safe as we think we are," said Judi Kelly who lives in Vacaville.
First responders also have difficulty communicating with neighboring agencies when working on an emergency together.
"There are instances where people either have a challenge or complete inability to transfer to our channels and speak to us in real-time," said Luckenbach.
Each Fairfield firefighter carries a county radio, a city radio, and a third radio that acts as a bridge between the other two systems. This allows them to speak across systems.
The challenge is not every agency in Solano has the third bridging radio, and Luckenbach said it is pricey.
"We actually have to carry an extra stash of radios, so when they pull up we hand them one of our radios," Luckenbach said.
Creating a single county dispatch center could cost millions of dollars, but Luckenbach said it is an important investment for the safety of communities.
The temporary fix right now is what he calls "patching" into other dispatch centers. Essentially, they can listen in on calls and therefore have a quicker response.
Luckenbach said regardless, the first responders in Solano are committed and working hard to respond to the community's calls as fast as they can.