Dispatch supervisor Ben Johnson keeps track of 9-1-1 calls. During the communication outage earlier this week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch Center used its text service to provide aid to residents.
Dispatch supervisor Ben Johnson keeps track of 9-1-1 calls. During the communication outage in July, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch Center used its text service to provide aid to residents. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

A rarely used computer program allowed the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch Center to continue operating despite a 9-1-1 communication outage that affected agencies across the county earlier this week.  

After a cut fiber cable caused 9-1-1 services to go down on Tuesday, local agencies struggled to maintain services and stay in contact with other agencies. The outage affected dispatch services and caused the Santa Barbara Airport to divert or delay planes.

The program, called Rapid SOS, lets the dispatch center view incoming calls. Even though the calls could not come through because of the lack of phone service, the program was still able to register the call in the dispatch center’s computer system.

“It’s another way to capture information,” said Raquel Zick, a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “Normally, they use it not necessarily to catch dropped calls, but it worked for that because it’s an internet-based system. It was not affected by the phone service outage. So, it did capture the calls that were incomplete so that we can see that the call was made.”

She said staff at the dispatch center realized the 9-1-1 system was down when someone from the Lompoc Police Department called from a personal cellphone because they were unable to get through.

Once the dispatchers realized they could see a list of numbers trying to reach out to them, they were able to use a bank of emergency cellphones to go through the list and help.

Zick said the dispatch team got through about 50 calls that had come in within the first few hours and reached between 10 and 15 people who needed emergency service, including medical assistance.

Even though the program was not designed to be used in that way, the county plans to incorporate it into its backup protocols in the future.

When the 9-1-1 dispatch center receives a text, the operator can respond from their computer.
When the 9-1-1 dispatch center receives a text, the operator can respond from their computer. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

In addition, the county was able to reach people through its text-to-9-1-1 service, through which people can text the dispatch center in situations where they cannot call. The user can simply text 9-1-1, and the message is directed to the dispatch center.

“The text-to-9-1-1 system was heavily used during this incident, and it worked well,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in a press release. “This is a great opportunity to remind the public that this service is always available.”

Using the text system allows the center to see the number that is calling and the dispatcher to respond directly from the computer. The system even has a built-in translation program for people texting in different languages.

A test 9-1-1 text from Noozhawk, sent in cooperation with the dispatch center, shows how the service works. True texts should be sent to 9-1-1 only for emergencies.
A test 9-1-1 text from Noozhawk, sent in cooperation with the dispatch center, shows how the service works. True texts should be sent to 9-1-1 only for emergencies. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

Even though the county does have a texting system, officials say calling is still more efficient for dispatchers. However, the text alert system can be beneficial for residents who do not feel safe enough to call or cannot speak on the phone.

The most important information that someone can provide if they are texting is their location, according to dispatch supervisor Ben Johnson.

“Something that’s very important is when you text to 9-1-1, it doesn’t give us your location in the same way that it does when you call,” Johnson said. “So, that’s why we do prefer that people call not only for the rapid exchange of information but also because we’re able to kind of pinpoint your location a little bit better.”

To help dispatchers while texting 9-1-1, please remember the following tips:

  • Always include the precise location. Texts don’t auto-share location — this detail is vital.
  • Use clear, plain language and avoid emojis, slang or abbreviations.
  • Stick to one-to-one texting; group messages won’t go through.
  • No media allowed. Photos and videos can’t be sent to 9-1-1.
  • You may request that a dispatcher give you a call.
  • Emergencies only. For non-urgent matters, call dispatch at 805.683.2724 or the Sheriff’s Office headquarters at 805.681.4100.

The outage was determined to be related to a cut cable that was mistakenly damaged during construction on the De la Vina Street bridge in Santa Barbara. Service was restored on Wednesday.

— Noozhawk staff writer Daniel Green can be reached at dgreen@noozhawk.com.