Communications and Technology Division
Communications Officers (dispatchers) are the calm voices who answer the calls when the community is in need of emergency services. They receive and prioritize 911 calls and ensure that officers and other emergency services are promptly dispatched.
Our computer technical professionals provide the necessary tools and infrastructure for the department to effectively operate. These skilled employees maintain mobile data terminals for officers in the field as well as desktop computers. They provide around the clock technical assistance and their maintenance of servers is essential to for employees to create and update incident reports, upload and retrieve files, and locate evidence.
Responsibilities
The primary mission of the Athens-Clarke County Central Communications Division is to provide the vital communications link between the citizens and emergency service providers in Athens-Clarke County. The Central Communications Division is headed by 911 Communications Administrator Kevin Zapata. In addition to the Communications Administrator, the division is staffed by an operations coordinator, a training coordinator, four communication supervisors, and over 25 communications officers and senior communications officers. The Central Communications Division is responsible for the dispatch responsibilities for the Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Fire Department, and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. Central Communications Division staff answer incoming emergency 9-1-1 calls and non-emergency calls for the Police Department.
The Central Communications Division is vital to our public safety mission as well as the safety of our officers. The Communications Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Athens-Clarke County Central Communications was originally established when then Athens City Police and Clarke County Dispatch Centers combined with the unification of the City of Athens and Clarke County Governments on January 14, 1991. Central Communications is a division of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Funding for the division is primarily received through the Emergency Number Fund and is supplemented by the Athens-Clarke County Government to cover expenses not covered by the fund.
9-1-1 System & Dispatch
Central Communications uses an enhanced Emergency Telephone Number System (9-1-1) so citizens can easily access emergency services. The system provides communications personnel with the name, address, and telephone number of landline callers. Learn more about the equipment and services provided by Central Communications.
Central Communications receives and dispatches citizens’ requests for emergency services for the following agencies:
Accreditation
In July 2010 Athens-Clarke County Central Communications became the fifth Communications Center to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in the State of Georgia. The communication center’s accreditation signifies that the communications center has met 200 standards of professional excellence. Learn more about this accreditation.