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Division of Emergency Communications

Captain Linda Samuel

(804) 646-5100

This Division is responsible for public safety and non-public safety

radio communications for the City of Richmond and serves as the City's

E-911 call center. The Division is a 24-hour a day operation, is staffed

by 44 Communications Officers and supervisors, and is commanded by a

Police Captain. The Division of Emergency Communications dispatches

calls for the Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Medical

Services, and Public Works. It receives and processes all 911 and other

non-emergency calls for the City providing a vital link between the

citizens and public safety field personnel and other services. The

Division uses some of the most advanced technology available. Its

Computer Added Dispatch System (CADS) operates at more than 30 million

instructions per second providing seamless and timely delivery of public

safety services to the citizens. All radio communications are provided

via an 800MHz digitally trunked radio system. The Division's 911 call

answering system is highly advanced allowing the Division to receive and

process both wire line 911, as well as, wireless 911 calls from the

public.

This division received 907,000 E-911 calls and 366,000 wireless 911

calls during 2001 and dispatched 347,584 police calls for service and

26,282 fire calls for service.

Here is a brief timeline for Emergency Communication for the City of

Richmond.

1742 - Richmond was established as a town by an act of the Virginia

Assembly in May. The Sheriff of Henrico County preserved the peace,

there were no organized police or fire departments. The only means of

emergency communications was a bell located at the Market House at 17th

and Main Streets.

1770 - First known "alarm" system was a watchman's rattle. A volunteer

was appointed to walk the neighborhood and at the first sign of fire

etc…they would sound the rattle to wake the residents.

1782 - Richmond's first police headquarters was the "City Watch House"

near the Old First Market. By the end of the eighteenth century in order

to receive assistance had to go to one of the police or fire stations.

Police would call for assistance by using their whistle or rapping on

the pavement with their nightsticks.

1871 - The Department of Fire and Police Telegraph was created.

1902 - City began installing an underground system of wires in the

conduits of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company.

1904 - Fire and Police call boxes in the community.

1939 - Installation of two-way radio equipment in all the cars.

1955/56 - New 'three-way" radio system, officers in police cars could

now talk by radio to all other police cars.

1977 - December the Richmond metropolitan area was the first in the

state to adopt the 9-1-1 emergency number.

1986/87 - New radio console system, the latest in radio communication

technology, using 80 individual microprocessors was installed. It had

the capability of cross-patching police channels and alerting fire and

ambulance services automatically by computer.

1999 - Police implemented the Mobile Data Center system by March 199.

The MDC's gave officers instantaneous access to the police computer

network.

2001 - A 20-channel digital 800 MHz radio communications system serving

all city agencies interconnected and interoperable with adjoining

counties, was completed along with a new communications center.

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