Communications Division

The Communications Division provides efficient and effective 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency dispatch services to the citizens of Harris County.

GOAL

The Communications Division receives, processes and disseminates public safety and criminal justice information for the benefit of the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the citizens of Harris County. We have the additional goal of providing continual planning, organization, direction, coordination and control of operations that support the overall operations of the Sheriff's Office and its personnel.

VISION

It is our vision to achieve all of our goals in a manner which is reflective of the high standards of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. We will make every effort to meet these goals with the greatest level of efficiency and professionalism, as is expected by the community which we serve.

The Communications Division's primary focus of operations is the Sheriff's Emergency Dispatch Center, which includes the 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point for unincorporated Harris County, non-emergency telephone lines, and radio dispatch. The Emergency Dispatcher Center is staffed 24-hours a day by TCLEOSE certified Telecommunicator and Peace Officer personnel. To contact please call 713-221-6000.

Call volume to the Emergency Dispatch Center is growing tremendously each year coinciding with the residential and commercial growth occurring in Harris County. To see our monthly call volume, click here.

IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 9-1-1!

• Your calls is automatically routed to the 9-1-1 public safety answering point that responds to your address.
• The 9-1-1 dispatcher will know which police, fire or emergency medical service serves you.
• Your address and telephone number are on the computer screen in front of the 9-1-1 dispatcher. The 9-1-1 dispatcher will verify the information on the screen.
• Upon determining your emergency, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will route your call to the appropriate response agency based upon the location.

What is an emergency?

• Fires
• Crimes in Progress
• Vehicle accidents with injuries
• Family Disturbances
• Breathing problems
• Choking, unconsciousness
• Poisoning
• Drowning
• Stabbing
• Other life-threatening situations

• Dial 9-1-1
• Stay Calm
• Speak Clear
• State Your Location
• State Who You Need - police, fire or EMS

What types of phones can you dial 9-1-1 on?

• Touch-tone
• Cordless
• Rotary
• Cellular/Mobile
• Pay phones
• TDD/TTY (for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired)

When you dial 9-1-1 from a cellular telephone, the 9-1-1 dispatcher may ask you specific questions about where you are located and may also route your call to a 9-1-1 answering point in another jurisdiction. This is due to how 9-1-1 calls from a cellular telephone are displayed at the dispatch center. Harris County can currently receive location information on a cellular 9-1-1 call within 150 - 300 meters in accuracy depending on the wireless service provider. To find out how accurate your cellular telephone will be, please contact your wireless service provider directly.

9-1-1 COMMUNITY OUTREACH

In conjunction with the 9-1-1 Public Educators of Texas, the Communications Division is involved in educating our community about the proper use of 9-1-1 and how the Division handles emergency and non-emergency calls. We provide tours of the Emergency Dispatch Center, attend health and safety fairs, participate in Career Days at local schools as well as attend community events. We distribute educational materials as well as answer any questions.

For more information regarding 9-1-1 operations or to request a 9-1-1 Public Educator at your community event, please contact the 9-1-1 Coordinator at 713-755-6911.

HOW TO REPORT A NON-EMERGENCY

CALL THE EMERGENCY DISPATCH CENTER
713-221-6000

• Calls to the Emergency Dispatch Center are answered in the order they are received, except for 9-1-1 calls that are given priority
• Unlike 9-1-1, we do not receive your telephone number or your address, so please stay on the line.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• To report a theft under $50 with no suspect information available, please call your local Harris County Sheriff's Department Storefront or Substation.
• To check to see if a vehicle has been towed from private property or has been repossessed call 713-755-6042.
• To check to see if an individual is in jail or to ascertain inmate information, please call 713-755-5300.
• To obtain an alarm permit, call 713-755-4600.
  

MESSAGE CENTER

The Communications Division's Message Center serves as the contact point for the National and Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems (NLETS/TLETS). The Division's Message Center sends, receives and disseminates all NLETS/TLETS Teletype traffic pertaining to criminal justice activities.

Additionally, the Message Center is responsible for entering, modifying and deletion of records of the following in the appropriate databases:

• Vehicle Thefts
• Vehicle Recoveries
• License Plate Thefts
• Heavy Equipment Thefts
• Boat Thefts
• Abandoned Vehicles
• Crime Scene Towed Vehicles
• Private Property Towed Vehicles
• Repossesed Vehicles

To check to see if a vehicle has been towed or has been recovered, please call
713-755-6042.

MOBILE COMMAND POST OPERATIONS
The Communications Division operates and maintains the Sheriff's Office Mobile Command Posts.

Mobile Command Posts provide field incident communications during natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents and large-scale crime scenes. The Sheriff's Office Mobile Command Posts have provided communications support for local, state and federal agencies on events such as Tropical Storm Allison, the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

On June 19, 2003, Vernon Nixon, Chief of Security for Johnson Space Center, presented Sheriff Tommy Thomas with a Columbia Space Shuttle commemorative memento, conveying thanks for the Harris County Sheriff Office's assistance during the Columbia's shuttle disaster.

Mr. Nixon thanked everyone in the Harris County Sheriff's Office who worked tirelessly in East Texas and expressed gratitude for all the support NASA received during that most difficult time.

(Click link for article)
911 Magazine article on the Harris County Sheriff's Office Mobile Command Post Operations.