By EMS1 Staff
LOS ANGELES — A 911 call from a cellphone in California is more likely to experience a long wait, according to officials.
Insiders from California Highway Patrol said you may have to wait for an answer on an emergency call if you call from a cellphone, according to NBC Los Angeles.
“Pray that you get an answer,” one CHP insider said.
“Somebody is going to die with this equipment we have. Somebody is going to die because we can’t get to the calls to answer the calls. It’s just a matter of time,” another insider said.
The insiders said the delays are caused by understaffing and outdated equipment that can’t handle the high call volume.
The CHP said 91 percent of 911 calls are currently being answered in 15 seconds or less, and the claim that only two people are responsible for 911 calls is not true.
“I can tell you that my supervisors are required to get on the floor and also answer 911 calls as well as the radios helping out on the calls,” CHP Lieutenant Joe Zizi said.
The insiders said dispatchers sometimes have to handle two emergencies at once, which Lt. Zizi also disputed.
“A dispatcher won’t handle two emergencies at once,” he said. “It’s just not feasible to pay attention to both. If a 911 call rings in their ear and it is a legitimate emergency, the dispatch call that they’re handling can be passed off to another dispatcher.”
Lt. Zizi said they are looking into what they can do to improve recruitment, but the insiders said it’s not enough and they fear for the public’s safety.
“Calls go unanswered. People hang up from being on eternal ring,” an insider said.