PCSO Awarded New PSAP Nov. 29, 2017.

PRESS RELEASE

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office has been approved for a new Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for our Communications Dispatch Center.

The Sheriff’s Office is currently designated as the main answering point for unincorporated Parker County emergency calls.

The North Central Council of Governments (NCTCOG) covers the cost and provides the equipment for the new station including the monitor and system.

Our only costs are to provide the electrician to upgrade the current electrical panel. The approval was announced this week, which allows the installation to be made as early as January 2018.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said the announcement comes as great news.

“This allows us to cover the increasing amount of 9-1-1 calls to our communications center,” Fowler said. “We have seen a steady growth of calls since I took office in January 2005, and it comes as our busiest call season approaches us.”

Dispatch Supervisor Fonda O’Connor said an average motor vehicle accident can produce 12 to 50 calls per crash.

“This occasionally overwhelms our existing open emergency lines,” O’Connor said. “The new PSAP will allow us to handle the increasing call numbers.”

The Sheriff’s Office dispatch center currently handles an average of more than 40,000 emergency calls annually with five existing operating PSAP stations covering Aledo, Brock, Hudson Oaks, Millsap, Peaster, Poolville, Willow Park and all unincorporated portions of the county for fire, accidents and domestic calls outside of the city of Weatherford and Springtown areas. We recently completed a full-service fire dispatch station to handle future needs.

A request for an additional PSAP station was sent to NCTCOG in August inquiring about the possibility of adding a new station if our center met the requirements.

Sheriff’s Captain Anthony Bilbay said the new station allows for an additional call taker position, which is crucial for the anticipated high volume of calls in the coming years.

Bilbay added the new PSAP station also allows our dispatchers to remain open for existing emergency lines.

Sheriff Fowler said with the extra call station, the department gains the ability to get ahead of the curve.

“We are preparing for the continued growth of our community, which includes a higher call volume,” Fowler said. “New housing additions are going up daily in our county. We will be equipped for the predicted increase in calls, and we are excited to be prepared for the anticipated growth.”