Huntsville and Madison have ranked in several reports as being a couple of the greatest cities in the nation, and many of their claims to fame include phenomenal schools, plentiful tourism options, outrageous local dining options, and a relatively low cost of living.
What many do not know though is that Madison County is also home to another “great”, and that’s our local Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center. It is by far the largest call center in Alabama and contains Communications Personnel from Madison, Huntsville, and Madison County. Housing all of these agencies together under one roof has proven to deliver more rapid, accurate emergency responses that widely benefit the entire city and those it seeks to serve and protect.
The Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center building itself is also new (built in 2020), expansive, and designed for max comfort and usability for those employees who are expected to be ready at all times to assist those who need them the most.
I recently toured this 911 center and learned that not only do these agencies seek to serve the community well, but they also strive to educate others about general safety, emergency planning, and first aid. These call-takers are real fellow community members on the other end of the phone who are well trained and invested in making sure they perform their jobs well, but there are also some things they’d like the community to know too.
First, it’s vital to know the difference between an emergency and a non-emergency and who to call in either scenario.
An emergency is described as something with an ongoing issue happening right now that needs attention immediately. Those with emergency scenarios should call 911.
A non-emergency is described as a situation where the threat has been removed but attention of some kind is still needed. In these cases, calling the non-emergency local number is the most appropriate. The local non-emergency number is (256) 722–7140.
Author tip: Take a pause from reading this article and save the non-emergency number to your phone. When frantic moments arise when you need to utilize the non-emergency line, having this number programmed in your phone is a gift to your future self. As someone who needed to use the non-emergency line weeks ago after discovering my car window shattered, it would have been helpful to already have this number in my phone. I knew the threat was likely gone, but I will still felt flustered.
Another benefit of having the Huntsville-Madison County 911 center house many agencies together is the financial savings of not having to duplicate equipment and other necessary operating costs. This has allowed funding to improve educational ventures, such as “Safety With Sprocket”. This virtual education series for children is designed to help adults talk with and teach kids valuable skills about fire safety, stranger safety, medical emergencies, first aid, and general in-home emergency plans.
The entire “Safety With Sprocket” video series is available here and includes handy worksheets that aid each lesson. This series is entirely free to the community.
Though the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center is passionate about educating children to navigate emergency scenarios, they are equally passionate about educating adults who will likely turn into 911 callers without a moment’s notice.
Chief Executive Officer of Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center Ernie Blair says that successfully addressing an emergency call is dependent on three legs: the call taker, the responders, and the caller himself. Blair says that “most valuable callers” help respond to and resolve a scenario much fast and more efficiently. Click here to watch a video about how to be a “most valuable caller”.
“People on the calls often want to talk, but we have questions we need to ask you,” says Blair, who shares that many of these crucial questions revolve around one’s location, type of emergency, and who and how to contact someone if they’re cut off.
He says that it’s also important for callers to understand the difference between an emergency and a non-emergency, as defined above.
Chief Operations Officer Chris Tucker says that upwards of 50% of 911 calls should have been made to the non-emergency number.
Having combined services all under one roof though helps tremendously when calls are made to the wrong number or when jurisdictions aren’t clear.
“All of the symphony directors are right here,” jokes Blair, who says that individuals are able to communicate with each other much faster and send the right help quicker because of their joint location.
“This is true interoperability, and we are proud of our level of professionalism here and the quality of services we are able to offer the people in this area,” shares Blair.
When asked what the call takers at the Huntsville-Madison County 911 center would cite as the most rewarding aspect of their fast-paced jobs, Tucker is quick to respond.
“Everybody here saves a life on a regular basis,” he shares, adding that these employees understand the successes that this specific 911 center brings to the community as a whole.
Blair says that the center is currently short on call-takers and that attracting the right people to fill these crucial roles has been increasingly challenging. Being short on call takers also requires a bit of cooperation from the community when response times are slower.
“As the population increases, so does our call volume,” explains Blair.
Blair and Tucker both share that those who are hired as call takers go through several months of extensive training and mentorship. Call takers will learn the basics of 911, the mapping system, address and location technology, Computer Assisted Dispatching, scenario training, call-taking protocols, and more.
As far as the work environment though, the new center is packed with the amenities to make it comfortable for all shifts.
Each agency has its own refrigerator, and the kitchen space is expansive. There are smoking and non-smoking areas, recreation areas such as ping-pong tables and outdoor tracks, fitness options, lockers, plenty of televisions, bunk beds, and more.
The Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center is proud of how their many agencies throughout the area work together to serve the Tennessee Valley well. They look forward to growing their team of call-takers and continuing their mission of educating the community on ways to keep themselves safe and how to respond when an emergency occurs.
Quick Links
To learn more about the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center employment opportunities, education series, and more, please explore the following options.
Watch the 9-1-1 Most Valuable Caller video
Click here for a list of non-emergency numbers to add to your phone.
Follow along on Facebook & Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions about 9-1-1
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