This article provides a brief background of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management and the primary responsibilities of its Emergency Communications Division, which operates 911 and other public safety phone numbers. The dispatchers of this division provide assistance to citizens with advanced telecommunications equipment, computer-aided dispatch applications, and radio dispatch systems to maintain effective communications with emergency services.

This document is part of the Integrating 311 into Disaster Response & Recovery toolkit, featuring resources for communities wanting to make the best use of their 311 system before, during and after an emergency or disaster.