Setting the Benchmark For Police Excellence

911 / EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

The Portsmouth Emergency Communications Center, also know as the Portsmouth 911 Center, is the designated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Portsmouth including government facilities (Naval Shipyard, Naval Hospital, Craney Island Fuel Depot, and the Coast Guard Base). The center processes all incoming 911 and non-emergency calls for the citizens of Portsmouth and dispatches Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services (medic) units. A team of 30 trained professionals (at full staffing) provides citizens with timely access to emergency services. In 2003, the center received 258,381 calls (708 per day). Of the total calls 105,418 were 911 calls, and 37,072 of those were wireless (cellular) calls.

Though the Portsmouth 911 Center has multiple functions, there are two primary services provided:

1. Receiving incoming calls. When a telephone call is received by the center either via 911 or on a non-emergency line, the Dispatcher collects the information from the caller. The information is then prioritized for dispatching.

2. Dispatching emergency units. The operator then dispatches the call to the appropriate police, fire, or EMS unit.

The 911 center is scheduled to be upgraded in 2004; the new facility, equipped with the latest technology, is being designed and built to maintain the City of Portsmouth’s commitment to quality service.

The Communications Commander is Lt T. Stenger and can be reached at 757-393-8551.