Full Notification

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the citizens of Kern County and those visiting our county the importance of the proper use of the emergency 911 system.

The 911 system is the most efficient way to report an emergency that is in progress. Unfortunately, the system is often times misused either intentionally or accidentally. This can lead to a delay in emergency response times in critical incidents where the response time can be the difference between life and death.

As summer approaches, calls to 911 will increase dramatically. During the winter months, the Sheriff’s Office receives on average 17,000 911 calls per month. During the summer months that number increases to an average of 22,000 911 calls per month. Many of these calls are abandoned calls in which the caller simply hangs up after accidentally dialing 911, or are children playing on the phone calling 911. In addition, many citizens utilize the 911 system to report non-emergency situations or to simply ask for information or assistance that is non-emergency related.

The Sheriff’s Office asks citizens and those who visit our county to follow these tips:

If you need emergency assistance, call 911.
Know the difference between an emergency and non-emergency situation (an emergency situation means your life or somebody else’s life is in immediate danger of serious injury or death).
Life threatening emergencies may include assaults in progress, robberies or burglaries in progress, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, and fires.

If you need assistance from the Sheriff’s Office in a non-emergency situation or need to file a report, call the non-emergency number, 661-861-3110. Out of area callers can call 800-861-3110.
If you do call 911 by accident, don’t hang up. Stay on the line and explain you called accidentally.

When calling 911 do your best to stay calm, describe what is occurring and answer all questions.
Know where you are at before calling. If you call from a cell phone the call taker will not know your location.
Teach children how to use the 911 system and when to use the 911 system. Make sure they know the difference between an emergency and non-emergency.
If you give your child an old phone to play with, remove the battery.
Lock your cell phone to avoid pocket dialing.
Understand that prank or harassing calls to 911 are illegal.

The Sheriff’s Office also offers an online reporting program. To access the program log on to www.kernsheriff.com and choose the ONLINE REPORTING link to start the process. You will find detailed instructions on how to file a report online which will reduce your wait time.

The Sheriff’s Office would also like to remind citizens that the 211 system is available when seeking health and human services information that is non law enforcement related. Dial 211 to get information on food assistance, utility assistance, health care and health clinics, job training, report wage disputes, mental health services, and to seek legal assistance in divorce, child custody, and landlord/tenant disputes.

The public can also call 511 or 800-GAS-ROAD for traffic and road conditions.

If you would like further information, please contact the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit at 661-391-7559 or by email at [email protected]