quickly and efficiently obtained would provide a significant contribution to law enforcement and other public service efforts by making it less difficult to quickly notify public safety personnel. Such a simplified means of procuring emergency services will result in the saving of life, a reduction in the destruction of property, quicker apprehension of criminals, and ultimately the saving of money. The Legislature further finds and declares that the establishment of a uniform, statewide emergency number is a matter of statewide concern and interest to all inhabitants and citizens of this state. It is the purpose of this act to establish the number “911” as the primary emergency telephone number for use in this state and to encourage units of local government and combinations of such units to develop and improve emergency communication procedures and facilities in such a manner as to be able to quickly respond to any person calling the telephone number “911” seeking police, fire, medical, rescue, and other

emergency services.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

statewide policy regarding a public agency’s ability to receive and process emergency calls is a matter of statewide concern and an interest to all inhabitants and citizens of this state.

“Public agency,” as used in this article, means the state, and any city, county, city and county, municipal corporation, public district, or public authority located in whole or in part within this state which provides or has authority to provide firefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services.

“Public safety agency,” as used in this article, means a functional division of a public agency which provides firefighting, police, medical, or other emergency services.

“Direct dispatch method,” as used in this article, means a telephone service providing for the dispatch of an appropriate emergency service unit upon receipt of a telephone request for such services and a decision as to the proper action to be taken.

“Relay method,” as used in this article, means a telephone service whereby pertinent information is noted by the recipient of a telephone request for emergency services, and is relayed to appropriate public safety agencies or other providers of emergency services for dispatch of an emergency service unit.

“Transfer method,” as used in this article, means a telephone service which receives telephone requests for emergency services and directly transfers such requests to an appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services.

“Referral method,” as used in this article, means a telephone service which, upon the receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, provides the requesting party with the telephone number of the appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services. The use of the referral method shall only be used for nonemergency situations.

“Basic system,” as used in this article, means a telephone service which automatically connects a person dialing the digits “911” to an established public safety answering point through normal telephone service facilities.

“Sophisticated system,” as used in this article, means a basic system with the additional capability of automatic identification of the caller’s number, holding the incoming call, reconnection on the same telephone line, clearing a telephone line, or automatic call routing or combinations of such capabilities.

“Incremental costs”, as used in this article, mean any costs necessary for the establishment of a system required by this article and recommended for reimbursement by the advisory committee established by Section 53115.1 other than costs for (1) a basic system, (2) a basic system with telephone central office identification, or (3) a system employing automatic call routing, which are reasonable, necessary and unique for the planning and efficient implementation of a local agency’s 911 system.

“Division,” as used in this article, means the Public Safety Communications Division within the Office of Emergency Services.

Every local public agency within its respective jurisdiction shall establish and have in operation by December 31, 1985, a basic system as provided in this article, or be part of such a system.

The establishment of such systems shall be centralized to the extent feasible. Nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit or discourage in any way the formation of multijurisdictional or regional systems, and any system established pursuant to this article may include the territory of more than one public agency or may include a segment of the territory of a public agency.

The Legislature finds and declares that environmental considerations in the Tahoe region have halted or delayed the development of facilities necessary for the establishment of a local emergency telephone system in that area.

Accordingly, local public agencies in the Tahoe region, as defined in subdivision (a) of Article II of Section 66801 of the Government Code, shall comply with Section 53109 by December 31, 1986, rather than by December 31, 1985.

with a nonpublic agency for, “911” call processing services only as described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

continue to delegate, assign, or contract for those services and may, upon the expiration of the delegation, assignment, or contract, renegotiate or adopt new contracts, if the membership of the joint powers authority includes all public safety agencies that provide prehospital emergency medical services and the joint powers authority consents to the continued delegation, assignment, or renegotiation or adoption of the contract.

that has delegated, assigned, or contracted for “911” call processing services on or before January 1, 2019, may continue to do so with the concurrence of the public safety agencies that provide prehospital emergency medical

services. If a public safety agency does not concur with the delegation, assignment, or contracting of the “911” call processing services within its jurisdictional boundaries, the following shall apply:

The digits “911” shall be the primary emergency telephone number within the system, but a public agency or public safety agency may maintain a separate secondary backup number, and shall maintain a separate number for nonemergency telephone calls.

without the necessity of inserting a coin. At those “911” public safety answering points serving an area where 5 percent or more of the population, in accordance with the latest United States census information, speak a specific primary language other than English, operators who speak that other language, in addition to English, shall be on duty or available through interagency telephone conference procedures at all times for “911” emergency services.

The Legislature finds that, because of overlapping jurisdiction of public agencies, public safety agencies, and telephone service areas, a general overview or plan should be developed prior to the establishment of any system. In order to ensure that proper preparation and implementation of those systems is accomplished by all public agencies by December 31, 1985, the office, with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General, shall secure compliance by public agencies as provided in this article.

The office, with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General, shall coordinate the implementation of systems established pursuant to the provisions of this article. The office, with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General, shall assist local public agencies and local public safety agencies in obtaining financial help to establish emergency telephone service, and shall aid agencies in the formulation of concepts, methods, and procedures that will improve the operation of systems required by this article and that will increase cooperation between public safety agencies.

To accomplish the responsibilities specified in this article, the division is directed to consult at regular intervals with the State Fire Marshal, the State Department of Public Health, the Office of Traffic Safety, a local representative from a city, a local representative from a county, the public utilities in this state providing telephone service, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the Emergency Medical Services Authority, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. These agencies shall provide all necessary assistance and consultation to the division to enable it to perform its duties specified in this article.