Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Picture this. You are home with your family enjoying another beautiful southern California day in your backyard. Suddenly, your young child trips and falls and you need an ambulance.

You reach for your home phone and dial 9-1-1, but you receive a fast busy signal or there is no dial tone. You try again, but no luck. Trying to stay calm, you grab your cell phone and dial 9-1-1. Nothing happens. Still trying to remain calm, you scoop your child up in your arms and drive him to the nearest hospital for treatment. Sound far-fetched? It’s not.

There are many scenarios that can interrupt your telephone service and prevent you from getting through to 9-1-1, even though the 9-1-1 system is fully functional. Earthquakes and floods can certainly cause interruptions in phone service. If you are in the impacted area, you usually know that there has been a disaster and you might even anticipate an interruption in your phone service.

Most recently, though, contractors have caused phone service interruptions by accidentally severing a telephone company’s cables. When this occurs, there is usually no warning and no notification that the cable cut has occurred. In fact, you might never know your phone service was interrupted, unless you happen to try using your telephone before the cable is repaired or replaced.

Before you find yourself in need of emergency assistance, here are some things you can do to be prepared and self-sufficient.

• When you need law enforcement, fire or medical assistance, dial 9-1-1. If you cannot reach 9-1-1 on your landline phone, try calling 9-1-1 on your cellular phone.
• If you are unable to reach an emergency dispatcher by dialing 9-1-1, call the seven-digit telephone number for the agency you are trying to reach. Refer to your local telephone directory for a list of the local seven-digit police and fire telephone numbers. If you cannot reach the agency on your landline phone, try using your cellular phone to call the seven-digit telephone number.
• If you are unable to make contact using the telephone, go to your nearest police station, fire station or hospital to report an emergency. Knowing where your local police station, fire station and hospital are located is an excellent way to be prepared for any emergency.

While 9-1-1 is a reliable and well-known resource, it cannot always compensate for complications caused by natural or man-made disasters. You should develop contingency plans and share them with friends and family members so you are prepared and self-sufficient in the event you are not able to contact emergency service providers via the telephone.

For additional information, go to www.countyofventura.org/Disaster Information/Getting Immediate Help/Reporting an Emergency. If the Office of Emergency Services is notified of a telephone outage or telephone cable cut, the information will be posted at the top of the Disaster Information page at www.countyofventura.org.