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Commissioners add Potter County to North Central regional 9‑1‑1 system
Summary
Mifflin County joined a multi-county 9‑1‑1 partnership that adds Potter County to the North Central regional system; staff said the regional approach increases redundancy, eligibility for state funding and standardizes policies and procedures across counties.
The Mifflin County Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to accept Potter County into the North Central regional 9‑1‑1 system.
Staff explained the multi-county arrangement shares call-taking systems, parts of radio systems and other support services to increase redundancy when one county is overwhelmed, and to standardize policies and procedures. The presenter said the regional model also helps counties qualify for state funding that supports portions of shared systems paid for from wireless 9‑1‑1 fees.
Staff described current and future technical work, including planned radio projects and cloud-based systems, and noted that while any county can take another county’s 9‑1‑1 calls under the state network, operational challenges remain because counties do not yet have full radio interoperability for dispatching emergency services. The presenter said work is underway to improve radio connectivity with neighboring counties over the next several years.
When asked whether the addition means another county would handle calls if Mifflin County communications were knocked out, staff answered that other counties can take calls but may lack radio interoperability to dispatch local units directly; the county uses additional tools such as text and paging to notify responders in those situations.
The board approved adding Potter County to the North Central regional 9‑1‑1 system by voice vote.
