Douglas County hears 911 center and emergency management overview; officials flag radio contract and FIFA 2026 planning

Douglas County commissioners heard a joint briefing Jan. 29 from the Emergency Communications Center and the county Emergency Management office on staffing, funding sources, radio-system infrastructure and planning for large events, including FIFA 2026.

The update, presented by Tony Foster, director of the Emergency Communications Center, and Robert Binecki, director of Emergency Management, covered how the 911 center is funded, staffing levels and response-time metrics; plans to renew a long-term Motorola P25 radio-service contract; and forthcoming exercises and trainings for resource management and lithium-ion battery incidents.

Foster said the center is funded through a city–county cooperative agreement and a state 911 fund. "Currently 33.33% of the operating budget is provided by Douglas County, and the City of Lawrence is at 60%," he told commissioners. He said a state 911 funding source provides about $620,000 a year but, by statute, that money is restricted to technology and cannot be used for personnel.

Foster described the center's staffing and performance: budget authority covers 35 positions, with 31 filled; the center runs two 12-hour shifts each day; and it met National Emergency Number Association benchmarks on answer times in 2024. "We are currently at 97% within 15 seconds," Foster said, adding the center's average 911 answer time was 4.66 seconds in 2024. He reported roughly 42,009 911 calls,…