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E-911
On or before July 1, 2003, every locality in Virginia was required to be served by an E911 system. Madison County received a grant from the Commonwealth and along with monies received from telephone surcharges, the current 911 center began operations in July 2002. The 911 center is staffed 24 hours a day with a minimum of two dispatchers on duty. The 911 center receives 911 calls from all home phones in the county as well as cellular phones of residents and travelers. The center is considered to be “Enhanced 911” and has the ability to track cellular phones with the carrier's phase 2 technology.
The 911 center consists of 10 full-time dispatchers along with 2 full-time dispatchers/supervisors. The center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and receives emergency calls for Law Enforcement, Fire, and Medical Emergencies. The center also accepts non-emergency calls on normal phone lines. The 911 center has the most current technology for receiving 911, radio communications, mapping, and CAD. Each dispatcher is trained and certified by the Department of Criminal Justice.
The County receives funding for 911 through the state in the form of (i) taxes and surcharges collected from telephone and cable utilities and returned to localities, and (ii) Compensation Board reimbursement for a portion of the salaries of several Dispatch positions, and (iii) funding received from the Wireless Board of surcharges placed on cellular phones.