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Communications

The Communications Division employs 12 Dispatchers, 2 Technicians, 4 Shift Leaders, 1 Dispatch Supervisor, 1 Communication Supervisor, 1 Communication Technological Services Coordinator and 1 Manager. As a division of the Kingsport Police Department, it provides service for Police, Fire, EMS, Rescue, and other city departments and functions. In addition, after 5 p.m. and on holidays and weekends, they handle calls for Public Works Divisions such as Streets, Utilities, and Transportation, and monitor Public Transit's radio for emergency traffic. The Division is made up of two units: Central Dispatch and Communications Maintenance.

Central Dispatch

During the year 2007, Central Dispatch handled 70,529 requests for service for citizens and processed 329, 035 phone calls, which averaged one phone call every 1.5 minutes. During the same period, the dispatchers made 901,216 radio transmissions for an average of one transmission every 34 seconds for the year. Dispatchers made 128,001 CAD call entries into the city computer system averaging 351 CAD call entries per day.

During the years 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, Central Dispatch dispatched the following services:

                                 2004       2005       2006       2007

Police Requests . . . . . . .  .50,681     44,593     45,350     48,951
EMS / Rescue  . . . . . . . . . 12,880     16,623     13,031     13,594
Fire Medical/Accidents  . . . .  4,588      4,551      4,480      4,793
Fire  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1,298      1,309      1,285      1,492
All Other Departments . . . . .    810      1,438      1,286      1,699
                                70,257     68,456     65,432     70,529

During 2007, Central Dispatch received 50,867 Emergency 9-1-1 calls for service. Of the total 9-1-1 calls, 25,114 were received from cellular phones, 1,829 from coin phones, 9,667 from businesses and 14,257 were residential. The total radio transmission on the 800MHz system by all departments is as follows:

 
Police                       765,083	
EMS/Rescue                   123,058
Fire                         194,813
Other                         95,738
                           1,179,092*

*This combined total does not include Public Works Streets, and Utilities. Those components are not part of this radio system. The total of all radio system user averaged one radio transmission every 15 seconds.

Communications Maintenance

The Communications Maintenance Unit, (3 personnel), is responsible for keeping all communications equipment in the Department operation and available on a 24-hour basis. The Communications Maintenance Unit maintains 3,240 pieces of equipment for all city functions, not just public safety.