SAN DIEGO -- In times of emergencies, 911 operators are your first line of help.

The San Diego County Sheriff Department's 911 system has the best record in the nation for quick action by answering phones on average of two seconds. The national average is 10 seconds.

"If we're short staffed, we will not sacrifice 911. We will go down on administrative calls, but we will not go down bodies on 911," San Diego County 911 Coordinator Hanan Harb said.

So, why are so many people in San Diego County complaining that their 911 calls are being ignored?

For example, a teenage girl crashed into a tree in the Valley Center area. She injured herself badly and needed immediate help.

"I just dialed 911 and waited and I got a recording," a witness told 10News.

But she didn't give up and tried to call one more time.

"As soon as I got to the accident I called again and then I got the recording again," Camille Strate said.

"Kim" tried calling 911 when she was under attack by a man throwing large stones at her car window.

"I called immediately, and I was put on hold for I don't know, five or six minutes, and I was pretty ticked," she said.

The problem lies in what witnesses and victims use to make the 911 calls -- their cell phones. The California Highway Patrol is in charge of answering all 911 calls from cell phones and their average wait time is 64 seconds.

"The phones are flooded because everyone in their cars are picking up their phones to dial 911," CHP spokesman Larry Landeros said.

Cell phone 911 calls in the state have nearly tripled in less than a decade. That's up from 3 million in 1997 to more than 8 million last year.

CHP 911 operators in San Diego answer almost 4,000 calls every day.

And while the call load skyrockets, operator staffing is plummeting. Landeros said staffing is down from 50 operators at the Kearny Mesa call center to 27.

"It's the volume of calls. Remember, we're getting 94 percent of those cell calls and we are minimally staffed," Landeros said.

It's the same situation across the state, according to 10News.

CHP switchboards are flooded with calls, but there are not nearly enough operators to take the calls and frustrations over unanswered 911 calls are leaving many in fear.

"I got to thinking, what would happen if something happened to me? What happens if someone has a heart attack? They're dead before the report's even taken," Strate said.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Communication Center will take over 911 cell phone calls made in San Diego County in June, which could alleviate some of the wait time, according to 10News.

However, the CHP will still have to answer 911 cell phone calls everywhere else in the state. Officials said the public should put pressure on state lawmakers to better fund the CHP 911 system.