 Imagine a world without 9-1-1. Who would you call if emergency assistance was needed and Googling a 10-digit number was not an option? Let us take you on journey back in time. In the late 1980’s, when 9-1-1 service was sparse in the great state of Texas, voluntary legislation enabled the creation of 9-1-1 systems for many of our large cities. Unfortunately, out of 254 Counties, 230 of these were rural areas left with no 9-1-1 service plan. Passage of HB 911 in 1987 requested that Texas' regional planning councils (COGs) undertake
9-1-1 planning and implementation activities on behalf of their local governments. After two years of planning, coordinating system design, and general preparation, implementation of Enhanced 9-1-1 began in June of 1991 and was completed in January 1992.
On June 28, 2011, NCTCOG's Regional 9-1-1 Program celebrated 20 years of service. A special reception was held to honor over 200 of our 9-1-1 telecommunicators, communications supervisors, and all of the addressing coordinators who have been a part of our program for the past 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Guest speakers included Sheriff David Walker of Wise County, who has been with us since day one, Eric Parry with Mission Critical Partners and our very own Christy Williams. Sheriff Walker even started his career as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator!
Christy Williams, the 9-1-1 Program Manager, has been with the 9-1-1 Program since the beginning. She has witnessed the growth and expansion of a program that initially seemed as if it would never come to fruition. The technology has changed rapidly over the years starting with a simple telephone system. Today, after 20 years, the North Central Texas region boasts some of the most advanced technology in the 9-1-1 industry and continues to stay on the cutting edge!
20-Year Celebration Service Award Recipients [PDF]
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