When responding to an emergency at Berkeley Lab, the way you place a call to 911 can make a critical difference. Dialing 911 from your desk phone provides a rapid, dual-agency response from the police and our on-site Security Emergency Services (SES) team. Because desk phones are tied to a specific physical location, Berkeley Lab security personnel can accurately pinpoint where a call originates the moment you dial 911, providing your room location on a digitized floorplan.
Dialing 911 from a cellphone contacts police only, and SES isn’t dispatched until after they have been notified by police, resulting in delays when every second counts.
“During emergencies, people may not always be able to clearly identify their location,” said James Nunez, Department Head, Emergency Services. “Having access to a desk phone that automatically provides location information helps ensure that emergency personnel can respond quickly and accurately.”
If you are near your Lab desk phone during an emergency, calling 911 from that phone is the best option, as it allows on-site SES responders to find you quickly and provide immediate assistance, and notifies the police. If no desk phone is nearby, use whatever phone or assistance is available to you at that moment, or ask someone nearby to call for help. The most important step is to contact emergency services as quickly as possible.
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