Consolidated 911 Communications Center coming to Center Point - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Consolidated 911 Communications Center coming to Center Point

Posted: Updated:
  • News HeadlinesNews Headlines

  • Friday, May 17 2013 11:17 PM EDT2013-05-18 03:17:33 GMT
    An inmate is on the loose in Etowah County.  The Sheriff's department says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center (ECDC) Friday morning.  Justin Wade Hopkins, 30, escaped from
    The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center Friday morning. 

A new 911 Communications Center will be housed in the Center Point Satellite Courthouse. It will consolidate operations, allowing all agencies to dispatch from a central location.

The cost of construction, equipment and technology is expected to be $4.5 million. The project is funded from fees collected by phone companies on every telephone line. By law, these fees must be used to provide 9-1-1 emergency services. This concept and new call center will be more cost and operationally efficient.

The Center will be the largest consolidated 911 Center in the State of Alabama

Currently all Jefferson County 911 calls are answered by the Sheriff's Office Communication Center and then dispatched or transferred to the appropriate agency. Northstar Ambulance dispatches for twenty-one fire departments under a contract with Jefferson County 911.

In 2010 the Jefferson County Commission created an independent 911 Board. The Jefferson County 911 Board covers all unincorporated areas of Jefferson County and also includes eighteen cities and towns. This includes the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, nine other law enforcement agencies and thirty-three fire departments. It serves a population of approximately 190,000 with 84,000 land lines and 143,000 cell phones. Over 200,000 911 calls are answered annually.

This project has taken great regional cooperation and will be a model for how consolidated services is more effective and more cost efficient for the tax payer.

Most Popular
Stories
Videos
loading...