If emergency strikes Durham’s 911 center, what happens to calls?
Durham is moving forward with a plan to link its 911 center to Fayetteville’s in case catastrophe strikes either city’s 911 center.
Randy Beeman, Durham’s director of emergency communications, said it’s crucial to have a backup in case the 911 center can’t receive or dispatch any calls.
Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton said calls would only be rerouted in the event of a “cataclysmic breakdown” of the system, not when staffing is low.
Durham has struggled to staff its 911 center in recent years, and in late 2020, began automatically routing some calls to Raleigh-Wake 911 to avoid letting them go unanswered. That practice ended after about six months.
Staffing is currently at 77.5%, and residents continue to report occasional problems reaching 911 operators. Last week, a woman who spotted a car described in an Amber Alert about a missing baby called 911 three times, but nobody picked up.
The city reports that 89% of 911 calls have been answered in 10 seconds or less this year.
Durham and Fayetteville are a natural fit because they are similar in size and have identical radios and software, according to city staff.
All calls would be routed to Fayetteville if Durham’s 911 center fails, and vice versa if Fayetteville’s 911 center fails. The cities are about 90 minutes apart by car.
The Durham City Council discussed the matter Thursday and will vote on a five-year contract March 18.
This story was originally published March 7, 2024 at 3:01 PM with the headline "If emergency strikes Durham’s 911 center, what happens to calls?."
