Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

New Website Reveals Details Of 911 Calls In San Diego

The nature of every 911 call answered by San Diego fire-rescue and the address where the emergency is taking place can be seen by the public on a new website, the department announced today.

The website -- www.sdfiredispatch.org -- was created to cut down on the number of calls to 911 by people who hear sirens and want to know what's going on, according to Susan Infantino, communications manager of the San Diego Fire- Rescue Department.

"Fire dispatchers are on the front line of emergency response," she said in a statement. "Answering questions from curious callers not only delays them from doing the important job of emergency dispatch. It clogs the phone lines and could delay a legitimate 911 call from getting through."

Advertisement

The website is updated every five minutes, 24 hours a day. It does not list specific patient information.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.