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County offers space and upgraded equipment for City of Lancaster to consolidate police dispatch into county 911 center
Summary
County officials told the joint meeting that the county 911 center has renovated consoles, servers and backup systems and has space to accommodate city police dispatch if the city wishes to consolidate; differences in how landline and mobile calls are routed were also explained.
County staff told the meeting that Lancaster County's 911 communications center has been fully remodeled in the last three years, has upgraded dispatch consoles and redundant servers, and currently provides emergency dispatch for county fire, EMS and sheriff's office calls.
County staff said the county 911 call center handles nearly 170,000 calls for service in FY 2024 and noted a distinction in routing: landline calls made inside city limits go to the city dispatch center, while mobile calls inside the city go to the county center and are then transferred to city dispatch staff. County staff said physical space is available in the county 911 center should the city wish to consolidate police dispatch through the county, and they presented that as an option given upcoming state-mandated updates and budgetary costs for the city.
City representatives raised questions about job impacts for city telecommunicators and operational differences. Council members also noted the perceived time delay when a mobile call is routed through county dispatch and then transferred to city police. County staff said the system is functioning well but placed the consolidation option on the table for the city to consider, offering to discuss technical and staffing implications in more detail.
No formal decision was made; county staff asked the city to consider the offer and said the county stands ready to discuss consolidation details, costs and operational protocols.
