CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department has been notified by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications, California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch that its application to become a 911 Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP, is approved.

The Clearlake Police Department has operated a 24/7 dispatch center since the founding of the agency.

However, 911 calls are answered at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and then transferred to the Clearlake Police Department.

City officials said this arrangement causes a delay and does not pass enhanced 911 information, such as caller location and call back number.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White took the proposal to pursue the PSAP status to the Clearlake City Council on Sept. 27 and received its unanimous approval, as Lake County News has reported.

The approval provides approximately $226,000 in funding across five years for the necessary equipment, support and connections.

When the new system is implemented, the Clearlake Police Department will answer landline and wireless 911 calls originating in the city, including new text-to-911 calls.

“The proposed solution will improve safety and responsiveness to the citizens of Clearlake. It will ensure they receive the same level of access to the 911 system as others enjoy throughout the state of California,” said Chief White.

White continued, “We are thankful the State 911 Office recognized our need and are working in support of making this a reality. The solution will also provide redundancies and enhance interoperability amongst our regional emergency response partners.”

City Manager Greg Folsom stated, “The city of Clearlake continues to achieve important milestones in implementing the city’s strategic plan to make the city cleaner, safer, and better. Approval by the state to become a public safety answering point is a huge win for Clearlake in our continued efforts to improve public safety. Once the new PSAP is operational, the Clearlake Police Department will have the latest technology for dispatching officers and will be able to more effectively serve our citizens.”

The new system is expected to be installed within the next six months. There will be additional information forthcoming as the installation date nears, city officials said.