Our Mission
The 911 Communications Center is committed to excellence in public safety. We are committed to provide professional, efficient and reliable service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year between the public and York County's Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services.
Our Vision
The 911 Communications Center strives to create and maintain a model 911 Center to achieve the highest level of public confidence through continuous improvement, exceptional levels of professionalism and dedication to public service.
Our History
York County is a vast area of land, encompassing 911 square miles. Over 410,000 citizens live here in one of 72 different municipalities.
Recognizing the need to provide the citizens with a better, faster, centralized means of receiving assistance in times of emergency, the York County Board of Commissioners established the "York County Department of Communications." At midnight, on July 25, 1970, York County Control signed on the air for the very first time. It was one of the first centralized 911 agencies in the eastern United States, and has been operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ever since. All calls to made to York County 911 are recorded.
Since 1970, the 911 Center has changed and grown along with York County. In 1976 a warrant system known as "MISSILE" was installed. This granted law enforcement agencies immediate access to local warrants, and warrant information. Today the records section tracks over 30,000 local warrants. They also have access to Commonwealth and National data banks, and can enter, and receive crime information on virtually anyone in the United States.
In 1986, the 911 System was upgraded to the "Enhanced 911 System," known as E911. This upgrade enables dispatchers, computerized access to caller information based on telephone number identification. It speeds dispatch by providing key information on the location of the caller and the call history from that location.
Today, the York County Department of Emergency Services, 911 Communications handles over 1100 calls for assistance each day. That’s over 400,000 calls annually!