Who to Call
City vs. county, water companies, air complaints, transit and crisis lines — verified numbers, grouped.
The numbers and links Bakersfield residents actually need, checked in June 2026. Where an agency doesn't publish a number we could verify on its own site, we link the official page instead of guessing.
In an emergency, call 911
Oildale and some east-side pockets are county, not city
Safety & crisis
Bakersfield Police — non-emergency
Reports that don't need an officer right now; online reporting also available
- Phone
- (661) 327-7111
Kern Behavioral Health 24-hour crisis line
Mental health or substance-use crisis, yours or someone else's — free and confidential; 988 also reaches it
- Phone
- (800) 991-5272
Kern County Fire Department
Non-emergency fire business — burn permits, station questions
- Website
- www.kerncountyfire.org/
2-1-1 Kern County
Free 24/7 referrals: food, shelter, utility help, county programs — just dial 211
- Phone
- 211
- Website
- www.211kerncounty.org/
City of Bakersfield
City service requests
Potholes, graffiti, streetlights, encampments on city property — online or via the Bakersfield Mobile app
City Water Resources (City Domestic Water System)
Water service for areas roughly west of Highway 99 — drought stage, watering days, billing
Kern County (Oildale & unincorporated areas)
Kern County
County services directory — health, social services, animal services, code compliance
- Website
- www.kerncounty.com/
Water & air
Cal Water — Bakersfield district
Water service for most of the city — billing, leaks, conservation rules
- Phone
- (661) 837-7200
- Address
- 3725 S. H Street, Bakersfield
Valley Air District — air pollution complaints
Smoke, dust or odor complaints in the valley portion of Kern County
- Phone
- 1-800-926-5550
Valley Air District — daily burn status & air info
Check Before You Burn status (Nov–Feb) and general air quality questions
- Phone
- 1-800-766-4463
Getting around
Golden Empire Transit (GET)
Fixed-route buses, RYDE on-demand booking, GET-A-Lift paratransit
- Phone
- 661-869-2438
- Website
- www.getbus.org/