Public Safety Communications answers incoming emergency (911 & TTY calls) & non-emergency calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For non-emergency calls, please call our 24-hour non-emergency line: 352-732-9111.

The department also works with residents to properly address new & existing property parcels so that, among other things, locations can be properly identified in case of an emergency.

Radio communications are a vital component of communication within & across other county departments. Public Safety Communications assures the access & availability of radio communications within Marion County to meet the needs of public safety & public service operations.

Calling 911: what to expect

When a call is placed to 911, the operator will calmly ask "911, Where is your emergency?" Within 60 seconds, the information given is relayed to a dispatcher who sends emergency crews to the location.

Emergency call tips

• When an emergency arises, call 911 immediately. Notify the neighborhood gate guard later.
  Don't assume someone else has called for help. Emergency responders can't help if 911 is not activated.
• When calling 911, expect to answer questions.
  Remember: dispatchers have already sent emergency crews to the location within 60 seconds of the call, despite the time taken to give additional information.
• Write the telephone number, numeric address and brief directions to the house on a notepad & keep a notepad next to every phone in the house. Will it might sound like an extreme or silly step, callers often panic or forget basic information during an emergency situation.
• Make sure the house number is visible from the road.

Dispatchers are often unnoticed heroes, but their work is hardly meaningless. They work 12-hour shifts & dispatch crews to an average of 1,200 emergencies each day, bringing new meaning to multi-tasking & quick thinking. They are also emergency medical dispatchers trained to give life-saving information like CPR instructions over the phone.

Dual accreditation

Marion County Public Safety Communications recently earned dual fire & medical re-accreditations from the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch (NAED).

This re-reaffirms that call-takers & dispatchers serving Marion County are among the best in the world. While many dispatch centers are accredited in fire or medical call-taking procedures, Marion County’s Communications Center is one the first 25 centers in the world to become dual-certified.

Having this caliber of dispatchers & call-takers working behind the scenes in emergency situations is something in which the community can take pride. Dispatchers receive more than three months of training & their work is constantly reviewed & critiqued since how they respond at the other end of the line in any given situation can mean life or death.

Obtaining the re-certification is a process that takes several months & requires the communications center to score a 95 percent or better in 20 categories that ensure dispatchers are asking the right questions, providing a high level of medical & emergency assistance via phone, participate in continuing education & more. The NAED determines whether these & other parameters have been met by reviewing 911 calls & reports at random.

All call-takers & dispatchers at the center are trained to handle fire, medical and law enforcement calls, which saves time during emergencies as well as tax-payer dollars. Having cross-trained call-takers allows call-takers to eliminate re-asking 3 questions, which creates a time-savings of 25-30 seconds per each call.