Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications has launched a new pilot program aimed at improving communication with 9-1-1 callers. The program, which began on Aug. 10, 2026, will run for one year and provide call confirmation and updates to residents who request public safety assistance.

According to the department, these customer service enhancements are intended to increase transparency and keep callers informed about the status of their 9-1-1 call. Through text messages, callers will receive confirmation that their call has been received and updates on the progress of their request for service. This will also eliminate the need for repeat calls from concerned individuals, allowing dispatchers to focus on high-priority calls and active emergencies.

The new program will provide Call Confirmation notifications via text message for non-life-threatening incidents such as noise complaints, parking violations, or requests for a police report. However, it excludes critical emergency calls or "Priority 1" calls that require an immediate response from public safety personnel.

An example of a Call Confirmation text message provided by the department reads: "This is the Long Beach 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center. We are confirming receipt of your call for service at (address). Public Safety personnel will be dispatched as soon as possible. Please call back if the situation changes and reference the incident number (Incident Number)."

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In cases where there is a high volume of calls or an incident that requires significant resources, public safety personnel may be delayed in responding to non-life-threatening incidents. In these situations, a 9-1-1 Call Update notification will be sent proactively to inform callers that their request is still active and that assistance is on its way.

An example of a 9-1-1 Call Update message provided by the department reads: "This is the Long Beach 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center. We are aware that you are waiting for assistance from Public Safety personnel, and we are working to dispatch emergency personnel as soon as possible. Please call us back if the situation has changed and reference the incident number (Incident Number)."

These customer service enhancements utilize advanced technology and do not require any additional work from dispatchers. They are only available to cellular callers, who make up approximately 90% of all calls to the 9-1-1 Communications Center. The department will closely monitor and evaluate the pilot program over the next year to determine if it will become a permanent enhancement. Feedback from both callers and staff will be used to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

For media inquiries, please contact Reginald Harrison, Director of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications, at 562-570-9460 or Reginald.Harrison@longbeach.gov.

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