Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Photo Gallery

This is the main dispatch floor. Calls for service are received, processed, and dispatched by personnel who staff the center. Each group of consoles is called a pod. This is the Police Pod, staffed by the Primary Police Dispatcher, the Administrative Police Dispatcher, and Police Tactical Dispatchers.

Dispatchers who are responsible for sending units on fire and medical calls staff the Fire Pod. There, the Fire Primary Dispatcher, the Fire Ground Dispatcher, and Fire Tactical Dispatchers monitor the fire radio consoles.

The Watch Desk is a room adjacent to the main dispatch floor. It is most often staffed to manage and coordinate responses to large scale or ongoing incidents. It’s also staffed to handle special events such as the Marine Corps Marathon, Fourth of July celebration, and inaugurations.

Using laptop computers, reverse 9-1-1, video display screens and various other technological resources, dispatchers coordinate responses from county, state, and federal agencies.

Watch Officers staff the Watch Desk 20 hours per day (the ECC itself is staffed 24 hours per day). To maintain up-to-the-minute awareness of impending or developing events that may impact Arlington, Watch Officers monitor news outlets, Internet sites, various government agencies, and more.

The Watch Officer position was established in mid-2013 to ensure dispatchers, Police and Fire Departments, OEM and other county agencies are apprised of any event affecting Arlington’s resources and citizens. The position is the newest addition to the ECC Career Ladder.

The ECC Conference Room, or Roll Call Room, is used for pre-shift briefings, meetings, or training. The room is also used in conjunction with the Watch Desk to manage and coordinate responses to large scale events.