Stockton Fire Department becomes countywide fire, EMS dispatch center

Starting Thursday, the Stockton Fire Department will take over fire and emergency medical dispatching for all of San Joaquin County.

The change takes effect at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 and will make Stockton's Regional Fire and Emergency Medical Dispatch Center the county's sole secondary answering point for fire and EMS calls.

For residents, nothing changes when calling for help. Emergency calls should still go to 911.

When someone calls 911, the call is first answered by a primary answering point. If fire or medical help is needed, the call is then transferred to a secondary dispatch center that gathers information and sends the appropriate crews.

All of those fire and EMS calls in San Joaquin County will be routed through Stockton's dispatch center beginning Thursday.

That means Stockton will dispatch every fire agency and emergency ambulance provider serving the county, according to the city.

City officials said consolidating the work into one center will give agencies across San Joaquin County a single place to send fire and medical calls.

Partner agencies have been notified and asked to update their call-transfer procedures ahead of the change.