Fayetteville and Cumberland County Agree to Explore Consolidated 9-1-1; Bodies Split on Governance

Fayetteville and Cumberland County officials recorded a formal commitment to pursue consolidation of their public safety answering points (PSAPs) but left a key question unresolved: who will govern the combined 9-1-1 operation.

At a joint meeting, county commissioners voted to pursue a joint 9-1-1 communications board model, asking managers to return with particulars on integration and a proposed 50/50 cost split. On the city side, several council members pressed for a single-entity model run by the City of Fayetteville, and council discussion reflected a preference to keep day-to-day operational control with the city’s staff.

Why it matters: Consolidating PSAPs affects how emergency calls are answered and dispatched across Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and other municipalities the county serves; it also raises questions about technology integration, staffing parity and how mental-health alternative responses will be routed.

Officials described two governance approaches presented in the staff packet: a six-member joint governing board with equal city and county appointees, and a single-entity model in which either the city or the county would operate the consolidated center with an advisory board. City 9-1-1 director Lisa Reed was named in the presentation as the recommended initial consolidated center director under the staff proposal.

Fire Chief Kevin Dove told both bodies, “consolidation is the right way to go,” and said he preferred city management if a single-entity model were chosen but supported a joint board if it ensured clear lines of responsibility. Fayetteville Police Chief Robert O’Brien said consolidation should preserve operational effectiveness and accountability and that the city would need to “be the lead” to maintain those standards.

County staff and commissioners emphasized that any model should include behavioral-health partners and rapid-response options. County leaders said they have engaged the Alliance (a local behavioral-health provider) to design a mental-health component that would place behavioral-health specialists or mobile crisis teams in the response toolbox and that staff will return with timelines and cost estimates.

Technology and operational integration were recurring concerns. City presenters noted the city already uses targeted tools—including limited ShotSpotter coverage in parts of the city, upgraded cameras and license-plate readers—and is piloting a drone-as-first-responder program. Both the city and county said they operate shared CAD and phone elements and are working on NextGen 9-1-1 components, but they agreed technology, dispatch and staffing details must be resolved in the integration plan.

Votes and immediate direction: On the county side, Commissioner Tyson moved for consolidation under the joint 9-1-1 model with a 50/50 cost split and for managers to stand up a joint governance board and report back; the motion carried and commissioners directed their managers to work with city counterparts on particulars. On the city side, council members debated competing motions—some favoring joint governance and others advocating a city-led single-entity model. The council’s vote produced a split outcome, and a later motion to reconsider the council’s decision failed when the council clerk reported a 4-4 result for reconsideration procedures.

Both bodies left managers and staff with specific follow-up tasks: to consult with municipalities currently served by the county (including Hope Mills and Spring Lake), to provide a detailed implementation timeline, and to return with finance, staffing and technology plans (including options for maintaining salary parity and program continuity). County and city leaders discussed using MOUs where appropriate and noted that some 9-1-1 board funds or equipment grants could complicate future separation if jurisdictions later sought to untangle a merged operation.

What’s next: Officials agreed to reconvene in January to give professional staff time to research models, consult partners and return with integration proposals. No final operational transfer or physical consolidation was executed at the meeting; the on-record decisions were to pursue consolidation planning and for managers to come back with implementation details.

Quotes from the meeting capture the split focus. “Consolidation is the right way to go,” Fire Chief Kevin Dove said, while County representatives described the joint board option as the “fairest way for the community.” City and county managers were directed to work together and report back on timelines, costs and recommended governance details.

The joint discussion included repeated assurances that job losses were not expected in the immediate transition and that salary parity and accreditation for dispatch staff would be maintained as part of any plan. For now, both bodies have a record-level commitment to pursue consolidation with managers and subject-matter staff tasked to return with options that address accountability, budget and service-area questions.

The meeting concluded with a plan to continue conversation in January and an adjournment motion approved by both bodies.