911 Communications Services Division

About Us

The Paducah 911 Communications Services Division which became a division of the Paducah Police Department in 2019, receives 911 and non-emergency calls for Paducah Police, the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, the Paducah Fire Department, and nine regional volunteer Fire Departments. If medical assistance is needed, the call is transferred to Mercy Ambulance and the 911 Division remains on the line to see if law enforcement or fire assistance is needed. The 911 Communications Services Division, the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP, answers approximately 170,000 calls per year and responds to almost 100,000 calls for service annually. The 911 Division is made up of one Manager, one Assistant Manager, four Communications Supervisors, one 911 System Network Administrator, one Senior Administrative Assistant, one Terminal Agency Coordinator, and 14 Telecommunicators.

The telecommunicators are equipped with Phase ll 911, enhanced 911 software that provides the phone number and location of the caller when dialing 911. This system also has a built-in TDD for the hearing impaired. The Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System allows the telecommunicator to keep track of several units in the field based on their status at the time and it assigns a color-coded priority that indicates how fast the first responders will be dispatched. The 911 Division is also connected with various state, federal, and international systems to inquire or report wanted and missing persons, as well as stolen vehicles, guns, or property.

Contact the Assistant Chief of Support Services or the 911 Division Manager to give feedback on your experience with the 911 Division.

Accreditation

The Paducah 911 Communications Services Division was originally accredited by the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP) in 2016 and re-accredited in 2020.

The accreditation process requires a dispatch center to demonstrate commonly accepted standards for efficient and effective operations. Furthermore, KACP representatives conduct on-site reviews of records, systems, and dispatch procedures. This is a voluntary process that requires a high level of commitment and willingness to improve the agency.

This accreditation shows that the agency was carefully measured against an established set of standards and has met or exceeded professionally accepted practices in the profession. It also provides benefits for the communications agencies including a recognized standard for evaluation, excellence, and accountability, the opportunity to detect any potential deficiencies, enhance operations, and the possibility of reducing liability insurance costs.

For more information about the accreditation process, visit the KACP Website.

Key Holder Portal

The 911 Communications Services Division provides a Key Holder Portal which allows business and property owners to share contact information in the event of damage or break-in to the property (including vacant buildings and storage buildings).  With time as a critical component throughout the 911 process, the information collected will expedite a possible time-sensitive situation. 

By submitting the Key Holder form, the requester understands that the information will be used by the Paducah Police Department or its agents to contact the designated contacts in the event of activity to the listed property requiring immediate owner or designated key holder response.  Examples can include damage to the property and or break-ins where the property cannot be re-secured by responding officers.

Visit the Key Holder Portal Here

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  When should I call 911?   

A.  You should call 911 to report an emergency situation including serious medical conditions, injury accidents, and in progress calls such as a burglary in progress or mischief in progress.  Any type of incident that could potentially be harmful to life or property would be a situation in which you would call 911.

Q.  When is it inappropriate to call 911?          

A.  Please do not call 911 to ask about road conditions, to report that your electricity is out, or to report you have seen a dog running loose down the street.  For situations that are not considered to be life or property-threatening, you should call the appropriate department.  However, there is a non-emergency administrative number to the 911 center (270-444-8550) that can assist in some situations.

Q.  How will the 911 center know my location if I call 911 from my cell phone?           

A.  When you call 911 from a cell phone, the call will connect to the nearest cell phone tower.  Each tower has an ESN (emergency service number) assigned to it.  That ESN will direct your call to the appropriate local 911 center.  Your phone information, along with the GPS of the phone, displays on the 911 screen.  The GPS of your phone is then transferred to 911 mapping, and your location will plot on the map.

Q.  Is it possible to be directed to the wrong 911 center when I call from my cell phone?    

A.  Yes, if you are close to a county line, you may connect to a cell tower in the neighboring county.  If this happens, the 911 telecommunicator can switch you to the correct 911 center with a one button transfer.

Q.  In the past, I called to report an injury accident on Interstate 24 and my call was never answered by 911.  Why did that occur?   

A.  The majority of people today have immediate access to a cell phone.  Many times there are several people who call 911 to report the same accident.  The 911 system can easily be overtaxed with multiple 911 calls.  When this occurs, unfortunately our staff can answer only so many of the calls at one time.  Therefore, some of the calls are unanswered.  On a typical day, four telecommunicators are on-duty.  If ten people are calling 911 at the same time to report an incident, we will be able to answer only about half of those calls.

Q.  What kind of questions will I need to answer when calling 911?

A.  The most important question to answer is your location.  For many years, the 911 telecommunicator would answer the 911 call with 911, WHAT is your emergency?  Now, the 911 telecommunicator will answer 911, WHERE is your emergency?  It’s very important when calling 911 that you know your location.  Other questions include What is your name and phone number?  What is being reported?  It’s very important when calling to remain calm and answer all the questions the telecommunicator asks.  Depending on what is being reported, the telecommunicator will ask follow-up questions.

Q.  If I accidently call 911, should I just hang up?

A.  No, if you call 911 by accident, let the telecommunicator answer your call.  You can tell 911 that you dialed it by mistake. Once the telecommunicator understands you called by mistake, you will be allowed to disconnect.

Resources

Calling 911 should only be done in an emergency, such as, serious medical conditions, injury accidents, and in progress calls such as a burglary in progress or criminal mischief in progress.

Please use the numbers below for situations that are not considered to be life or property-threatening.

However, there is a non-emergency administrative number to the 911 Division (270-444-8550) that can assist in some situations.