Category: Press Release

NCT9-1-1 Celebrates 30 Years of Innovation and Servant Leadership

NCT9-1-1 Celebrates 30 Years of Innovation and Servant Leadership

The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) celebrates its 30-year anniversary today. Since its creation in 1991, NCT9-1-1 has established itself as a district committed to furthering innovation within the emergency number industry and in promoting its core values of heart, courage, and attitude.

“When I went to work for this 9-1-1 entity over thirty years ago, I knew I would have the opportunity to help people through our work,” said Director of 9-1-1 Christy Williams. “I couldn’t have dreamed of the amazing team who are passionate and dedicated to saving lives and making a difference! I am honored to be a part of something great.”

The district began as the North Central Texas Council of Governments 9-1-1 Program and transitioned to a regional emergency communications district in December 2018. This transition allowed for more local control, including the establishment of a Board of Managers made up of elected officials.

Today, the district serves over 1.7 million people across 13 North Texas counties and 40 plus Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), or 9-1-1 call centers. In celebration of its anniversary, the district is looking back at the key milestones it has achieved since its establishment in 1991 when its first 9-1-1 call was made in Collin County.

Some of those milestones include implementing Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping into the region, which allows for more precise location services; being the first in Texas and fifth in the nation to launch text-to-9-1-1; committing to Next Generation 9-1-1 services, which allows call takers to receive additional data and the opportunity for future implementation of photos and videos in 9-1-1 centers; and more. NCT9-1-1 continues to further innovation within the industry by providing resources and guidance as an early adopter to other 9-1-1 agencies and authorities looking to improve 9-1-1 services.

The full timeline of the history of NCT9-1-1 can be found at NCT911.org/30th-anniversary/.

Press Release: North Central Texas 9-1-1 Authority Implements New Tools to Better Locate 9-1-1 Callers

Press Release: North Central Texas 9-1-1 Authority Implements New Tools to Better Locate 9-1-1 Callers

Arlington, TX, April 19, 2021 – North Texas citizens dialing 9-1-1 may soon begin receiving text messages from the 9-1-1 telecommunicator with a link to pinpoint their location. This feature is one of the tools included with a new dispatch map that has been implemented throughout the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District’s 13-county region.   

The NCT9-1-1 Service Area
The counties highlighted in blue will have access to the new 9-1-1 features, as well as the five municipalities featured in Dallas.

The new map provides GIS-based data to 9-1-1 telecommunicators. The map features tools like enhanced location, which sends a link to mobile devices that callers can click to send their enhanced location to the telecommunicatorThe map also includes a 9-1-1 chat feature that translates to over 70 languages, and is integrated with applications like What3Words, which pinpoints the location of mobile device within three meters, and Waze to provide traffic data. 

“Our region is fairly rural, which sometimes makes identifying an exact location of a caller difficult,” said GIS Manager Rodger Mann“The tools provided by this new map gives 9-1-1 telecommunicators another way to better identify a caller’s location, which can save lives by cutting down on response times.” 

The map is available to over 40 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), or 9-1-1 call centers, in 13 North Texas counties surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. This area serves about 1.7 million citizens. 

View the factsheet for these new features.

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About the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1)  

The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) is responsible for 40 plus Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in the 13 counties surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The district supports these PSAPs through maintaining and upgrading 9-1-1 equipment, providing up-to-date mapping information, training 9-1-1 telecommunicators, educating the public on the proper use of 9-1-1, and monitoring PSAP functionality and compliances. NCT9-1-1 serves a population of 1.7 million and 10,000+ square miles. 

Press Release: First Hybrid In-Person/Virtual 9-1-1 Academy Launches New Phase of 9-1-1 Training

Press Release: First Hybrid In-Person/Virtual 9-1-1 Academy Launches New Phase of 9-1-1 Training

ARLINGTON, TX, March, 17, 2021 — The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) graduated 14 new 9-1-1 telecommunicators in the first in-person/virtual hybrid 9-1-1 telecommunicator academy on March 12, 2021. This class included recruits from eight different agencies, including the Waxahachie Police Department, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cleburne Police Department, among others.

The graduates completed a rigorous program that taught 9-1-1 equipment use, state mandates and regulations, how to handle crisis communications such as active shooters, and more. This class was the first to experience a hybrid format, where part of the program was taught in-person with COVID-19 restrictions in place and part was taught online via video conference. NCT9-1-1 was one of the first Texas agencies to receive permission from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to instruct virtually while still giving credit.

“We worked with TCOLE to adjust to the shifting times during COVID by requesting virtual training, which is the hallmark of a good 9-1-1 telecommunicator,” said NCT9-1-1 Training Coordinator Bret Batchelor. “You have to be flexible, and I think we demonstrated the value of that by continuing to graduate new recruits during COVID when a lot had to shut down. These 14 recruits are a class of exceptionally resilient individuals because they mastered their skillset during difficult times, and I think that experience will help them in their careers.”

The academy has graduated recruits from across Texas and Arkansas since its inception in February of 2016 and continues to grow with classes held twice a year in the winter and summer.

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About the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District

The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) is responsible for 40 plus Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in the 13 counties surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The district supports these PSAPs through maintaining and upgrading 9-1-1 equipment, providing up-to-date mapping information, training 9-1-1 telecommunicators, educating the public on the proper use of 9-1-1, and monitoring PSAP functionality and compliances. NCT9-1-1 serves a population of 1.7 million and 10,000+ square miles.

Press Release: Dublin Police Department No Longer Answering 9-1-1 Calls

Press Release: Dublin Police Department No Longer Answering 9-1-1 Calls

Dublin, TX, October 28, 2020 –  Today the Dublin Police Department closed its Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and will no longer answer 9-1-1 calls or dispatch responses. 9-1-1 calls made by citizens of Dublin will now be answered by the Erath County Sheriff’s Office located in Stephenville, Texas. 

The Dublin Police Department was a two position PSAP that received 1,124 9-1-1 calls over the past year. The Erath County Sheriff’s Office has four positions and received 21,000 calls. Dublin officers will still respond to calls made within their jurisdiction.

Both the Dublin Police Department and the Erath County Sheriff’s Office are located within the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) service area. NCT9-1-1 is committed to providing PSAPs with the best resources and tools to serve citizens with a particular focus on early adoption in the emergency number industry. This includes text-to-9-1-1 and supplemental location for wireless calls. This superior level of service will continue to be offered to the citizens of Dublin.     

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About the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1)

The North Central Texas Emergency Communications District (NCT9-1-1) is responsible for 40 plus Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in the 13 counties surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The district supports these PSAPs through maintaining and upgrading 9-1-1 equipment, providing up-to-date mapping information, training 9-1-1 telecommunicators, educating the public on the proper use of 9-1-1, and monitoring PSAP functionality and compliances. NCT9-1-1 serves a population of 1.7 million and 10,000+ square miles.the best