The following procedures shall be followed in the event of a large scale failure in telephone and 9‑1‑1 services within the Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction:
If the station is unable to accept 9‑1‑1 telephone calls due to equipment failure, station evacuation, or other cause, the station shall notify SCC by calling (323) 881‑8100, and the station that serves as the fallback Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) 9‑1‑1 responsibilities shall be transferred to a station that is outside of the affected area.
In a large scale failure, alternate routes of communication shall be established, providing citizens with the ability to request required assistance.
Contact the Sheriff's Communication Center (SCC) via radio and advise them of the problem. They will set up an alternate line at SCC for citizens to call and will advise Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau to post Emergency Alert Announcements with local television and radio stations. This will allow people with unaffected land lines or cell phones to contact the Department if the station phones are inoperable.
Contact the Station's Disaster Communications Service Volunteers (DCS) via the Station's Emergency Coordinator. These are Home Amateur (HAM) radio operators that can set up their equipment at fire stations, shopping centers, hospitals, and other locations to facilitate communications to and from the station or SCC.
If assistance from additional personnel is required, the affected station should follow the Departmental guidelines for initiating the Emergency Mobilization Plan.