PULASKI COUNTY 911 DISPATCH

Pulaski County 911 was founded in 1990.

 

At this time, the center employees:

  • 15 full time and 2 part-time dispatchers
  • 1 full time Administrative Assistant
  • 1 CJIS/TAC Supervisor
  • 1 IT Coordinator
  • 1 GIS Coordinator.

The dispatch center currently dispatches emergency calls for approximately 25 agencies and the Somerset-Pulaski County EOC. Over 180,000 calls are fielded through the 911 center on an annual basis.

Under the current Administration, the 911 center has been able to secure grant funding in excess of $165,000 to facilitate the opening of this new facility an equip it with a state-of-art CAD system to better serve the needs of First Responders, Emergency Personnel & the Pulaski County community.

Listing a few of the 911 Center New Capabilities

 

Mobile CAD Dispatching  :  Responders can access integrated CAD system on mobile devices inside their duty vehicle

Integrated Radio Systems  :  Mobile phone app allowing communication with 2-way radio system in the event of an emergency.

Critical Incident Response  :  Ability to route 911 calls to another call center in the event of a critical incident at current 911 center.

Advanced Phone Capabilities : Remote dispatch, Critical incident call rerouting, Text 911 for the hearing or speaking impaired.

Rapid SOS Data Portal  :  Decreased call processing time for dispatchers by digitally relaying information to first responders.

Backup Call Center Capability  :  Ability to transfer 911 calls to a second location if emergency causes shutdown of current location.

Pulaski County EOC

Pulaski County EOC is the first of it’s kind for Pulaski County. It was founded in 2020 and quickly became and integral part of coordinating emergency responses amount various agencies in Pulaski County. During the most recent COVID-19 pandemic, the EOC serviced numerous business and medical providers in addition to first responders. In 2021, EOC personnel were able to secure 2.2 million dollars in CARES Act funding for Pulaski County. The EOC has also coordinated emergency response in multiple severe and winter weather incidents.

What is an Emergency Operations Center

  • An EOC is a central command & control facility responsible for carrying out emergency preparedness, emergency management, and /or disaster management in advance of or during an emergency.
  • An EOC is responsible for strategic direction and operational decisions.
  • An EOC collects, gathers, and analyzes data to make decisions that protect life and property, maintain the continuity of operations, and disseminates those decisions to all agencies involved.
  • An EOC can be activated in response to natural or manmade disasters and other public safety emergencies. There are five different levels of activation, depending on the scale of the event. Level 5 is the lowest level and typically managed by the EM Director. Level 1 is considered a catastrophic incident that requires an agency-wide effort and full activation of all local, county and state assets.

Moving Forward – New EOC Advancements

  • The new EOC will provide fully integrated radio and phone systems that function with the same capabilities as the 911 Dispatch Center. This will allow a seamless transition from the 911 Dispatch Center to the EOC during an incident.
  • During COVID-19 response, the EOC coordinated virtual meetings and conference calls with partners throughout the county and Commonwealth. The technology in the new EOC facility will provide for this in a more advanced capacity, giving each participant a virtual or physical seat at the table.
  • Technology and equipment  advancements allow the streaming of camera sources directly into the EOC from emergency scenes so that EOC personnel and partners are able to make the best strategic & operational decisions.
  • All EOC technology (radio and phone systems, servers, internet, etc.) have backups and the ability to maintain communications via satellite if necessary through the use of our partner, SRT mobile communications vehicles.