Provide the first point of contact for the public to report an emergency, to dispatch appropriate resources and personnel and to support operations through an ever-changing state of the art, comprehensive communications infrastructure.

Objectives/Capabilities

• Answer all emergency and non-emergency calls for service using a state-of-the-art Enhanced 9-1-1 System
• Dispatch the appropriate personnel and equipment to all emergency and non-emergency scenes with the use of numerous radio systems and a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System
• Coordinate mutual aid responses to adjacent localities, military installations and housing
• Monitor intrusion and fire alarms for County buildings and receive and dispatch intrusion and fire alarms received from central stations for commercial businesses/private residences
• Answer all calls received from emergency cellular call boxes
• Answer all after-hour calls for County services and dispatch appropriate on-call workers
• Respond to Surry and National Warning Systems Instaphones
• Provide pre-arrival emergency medical instructions
• Maintain liaison with organizations using the Emergency Communications Center
• Coordinate the acquisition, location, and maintenance of tower sites, emergency radio and cellular communications equipment and resources
• Ensure compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, ordinances and professional practices governing emergency communications
• Perform installation, service, maintenance and removal of two-way radios, cellular telephones, alarm systems, and visual and audible warning systems
• First echelon routine maintenance and service of two-way radios, cellular telephones and alarm systems
• Oversees all installation, maintenance, service, and removal of visual and audible warning systems.

9-1-1 Center personnel complete training objectives mandated by the Department of Criminal Justice Services while attending basic dispatch school. Personnel also become certified by the state as terminal operators to provide information to law enforcement personnel through the use of the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computers. 9-1-1 personnel also hold Professional CPR and First Responder certifications. An in-depth in-house training program is also completed by telecommunicators.

Emergency Communications

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