The Sumner County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) told commissioners it processed about 124,000 incidents through its CAD system in the first half of the year, a roughly 13.1% increase compared with the same period in 2024. ECC representatives said outbound call volume remains roughly 6,500–7,000 per month.

ECC leadership said staffing is strained: the center had been fully staffed until about three weeks earlier and is now two positions down. To address rising demand, ECC requested in its budget submission for five additional telecommunicators and two chief-telecommunicator/technology positions (CTOs). The ECC said those hires would allow it to allocate more telecommunicators to larger agencies and to fill the EMS and fire dispatch pool.

"We have asked for 5 telecommunicators and 2 CTOs, and that would help to put 2 telecommunicators on our larger agencies and put 3 in the EMS and fire pot," an ECC representative told the commission.

The ECC also reported that an upgraded CAD and records-management system purchased by the district was expected to go live in August and that the district paid for a system that can be used across multiple county agencies. ECC staff said the increase in incidents appears to be broadly distributed across call types rather than concentrated in a single category.

Why it matters: Rising call volumes and vacancies at a 911 dispatch center can slow response coordination and increase workload for remaining staff. ECC leaders said the requested positions are key to maintaining service levels as call volume grows.

No formal hiring action occurred at the meeting; the staffing request was described as part of the ECC report and will be reflected in upcoming budget deliberations.