Sunroom Desk

The Community Emergency Response Team for Crescenta Valley staffed a booth at the recent Arbor Day gathering at Two Strike Park. Assistant Coordinator Lisa Dutton greeted me when I stepped up and gave me their community handouts, including stickers with the county sheriff’s station emergency dispatch number for programming into cell phones.

Dutton told me that the number works for local emergencies in the La Canada Flintridge and Crescenta Valley area (just to the border with Tujunga) and that CERT recommends programming it into cell phone speed dials (but not as the 911 number itself – reserve 911 for emergencies outside the area).

Cell phone 911 calls go to the California Highway Patrol; there is some delay in transferring them to local emergency dispatchers. For a local-area emergency callers could use speed dial instead and reach the dispatchers with less delay.

Dutton emphasized that 911 should not be replaced on land lines, because the wired phone system already routes land line calls to local dispatchers.

Those living and/or working in Crescenta Valley, Glendale, and other areas can call local police or fire departments and ask which number they can program into their cell phones for a direct connection to local emergency dispatch.

When out of the local area, and with only a cell phone available, use 911 to get help in an emergency.

If you place an emergency call through any phone or number, describe the nature of the emergency right away, as dispatchers need to know whether to direct your call to the local police or fire department.