"What if you called 911 and no one answered?" That's the doomsday question being posed to thousands of Southwest County residents on a flier mailed out by supporters of a community college bond.

Mt. San Jacinto College is trying to garner support for a $720 million bond measure. In addition to expansion and renovation, the measure would provide classrooms, technology and training facilities for students interested in medical and public safety fields, according to the sample ballot argument in favor of the measure. The proposition, known as Measure G, will be on the ballot Tuesday.

But the question emblazoned across the flier has piqued Temecula City Councilman Mike Naggar. He claims it's misleading because it appears to make the operation of the 911 system contingent on the bond's passage. It's especially frustrating, he said, because the Temecula City Council just embarked on an all-out effort to educate its residents on the best way to reach authorities in the event of an emergency.

"Whether 911 answers or not has nothing to do with Measure G, absolutely nothing," he said.

Richard Giese, campaign chairman for Measure G, doesn't see it quite the same way. He said the rest of the flier explains that if Measure G doesn't pass, the college won't be able to add more facilities to train students as firefighters, nurses, emergency technicians or police officers.

"If they read the piece, they would understand what it's intended to say," he said. "It doesn't threaten (anything)."

Sheriff's Cpl. Dennis Gutierrez said Thursday that he couldn't comment on political advertisements.

Temecula is actively engaged in a 911 educational program after at least one resident complained that it took longer than she expected to reach someone after calling 911. Calls made to 911 from Temecula land lines are routed to a central command center in Riverside because the city contracts with the county Sheriff's Department for police services

At the May 23 City Council meeting, Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Capt. Larry Grotefend gave a comprehensive presentation on the county's emergency response system. He provided a number that people could call from their cell phones to reach the county's command center directly instead of being routed through the California Highway Patrol, as happens now. That number is (951) 776-1078.

The county has more than 150 people answering 911 calls, including line supervisors, spread throughout the county, Grotefend has said. And, he says, the command center follows national recommendations that 911 calls be answered within 10 seconds.

Naggar said he would have preferred if the flier presented its plea for support in a more straightforward manner, especially because the college is seeking so much money.

"For $720 million, just send us some information as to why you need it and let it stand on its own merit," he said. "Don't play political games with a tax increase. That's just not appropriate."

College officials have estimated that the highest rate property owners would have to pay to finance the 25-year bond debt would be $19.49 a year per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

Contact staff writer Deirdre Newman at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or dnewman@californian.com.