Dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone while you're driving on the freeway, and you're likely to get put on hold for a few minutes until a California Highway Patrol dispatcher answers.
But, if you dial 9-1-1 from your cell while you're in the cities of Hawthorne, Gardena, Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach, someone will pick up by the second ring (at least, that's what a representative of the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority told the Hawthorne City Council on Tuesday).
Not only will a dispatcher pick up almost immediately, but that person will be able to track where the caller is through his or her cell phone signal.
SBRPCA is owned jointly by Hawthorne, Gardena and Manhattan Beach, and has served the area since 1977.
Last year, it routed 223,712 9-1-1 calls, which was an 8 percent increase from 2007. The call center also received a 32% increase in calls from cell phones.
The picture below is SBRPCA's control room. The building is in Hawthorne.
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