911 ... Please Hold
We talk about why, despite a decade of audits and grand jury reports, Oakland’s emergency response system still lags behind national and state standards.
June 3, 2026
54 min
Full
3,364 of 3,393
June 3, 2026
911 ... Please Hold
0:00 / 54:46
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
America the Jesuit Review Episodes Around June 3, 2026
Episode 3,364 of 3,393 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
911 ... Please Hold
Summary
Oakland’s 911 system is perennially understaffed, frequently leading to long wait times for callers facing life and death emergencies or trying to report fires or crimes in progress. The problem has persisted for more than a decade, and we’ll talk to Oakland’s city auditor, an investigative reporter and a 911 dispatcher to explore why, despite a decade of audits and grand jury reports, Oakland’s emergency response system still lags behind national and state standards.
Guests:
Byard Duncan, investigative journalist, Type Investigations; his piece, "911... Please Hold" was done in partnership with Reveal/Center for Investigative Reporting
Michael Houston, city auditor, City of Oakland
Antoinette Blue, dispatcher, Oakland Police; president, SEIU Local 1021
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode details and artwork are published by the show’s own feed. Sentinel plays short cited excerpts and links every episode back to its publisher.