911 Communications Division

The 911 Communications Division is the first point of contact for emergency services in the City of Fayetteville. The Division is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and answers emergency and non-emergency calls for the City of Fayetteville, which is spread over 147 square miles. Emergency calls are processed using the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch protocols for Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD). Our Telecommunicators receive approximately 500,000 calls for service yearly and dispatch calls for Police, Fire, and first response on Medical calls.

As the vital link in public safety, it is our mission to provide the best level of service to the citizens of Fayetteville through professionalism, respect, and compassion.

The Communications Staff consists of highly trained, certified Telecommunicators who take pride in the high expectations set forth by this agency. The Fayetteville Police Department's Communications Center is one of two emergency call centers within the state of North Carolina to achieve the Triple Accredited Center of Excellence (TRI-ACE) accreditation from the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch in three disciplines: Emergency Medical Dispatch, Emergency Police Dispatch, and Emergency Fire Dispatch. The division most recently completed its stand-alone accreditation through the Commission on Accredited Law Enforcement Association (CALEA).

Accidental Calls

Accidental calls happen. Children playing with the phone, entering a wrong area code, or even a pocket dial. We understand! If you accidentally call 911, or your children accidentally call 911, don't hang up! Please stay on the line and simply inform the 911 call taker of the accidental dial. If you hang up, we will attempt to call you back numerous times, attempt to locate you using various methods, and dispatch officers to conduct a well-being check.

Call if You Can... Text if You Can't

Text to 911 capabilities are available and should only be used if voice calling is not an option.

Text messaging is one of the primary ways people communicate today, especially younger generations. The 911 community is constantly working to meet the evolving needs of the public. There are many significant benefits to consumers, especially in cases when the caller cannot communicate verbally. Texts to 9-1-1 may also aid in situations where a crime is in progress, the caller is facing domestic abuse, is injured and can’t speak, among other situations. Always remember, call if you can, text if you can't.

911 for Kids

We use the 911 for Kids, Red E. Fox program and mascot, as part of our outreach to teach children when and how to use 911. Through this program, hundreds of children are given the tools and knowledge to aid them during an emergency. Numerous children have been recognized for the heroic efforts they made during emergency calls. To request Red E. Fox at your community event, contact our Office of Community Affairs.