Get in touch with us 9-1-1 Home Regional Services Public Safety 9-1-1 When you call 9-1-1, you expect the dispatcher who answers that call to get you the help you need and to get it to you fast. Regional Challenges Dealing with life-or-death emergencies is challenging enough. Dealing with them in a region that has large, sparsely populated areas and is experiencing significant growth makes meeting the public's expectations of fast and accurate emergency services even more difficult. TCOG's 9-1-1 program is proud to play a role in meeting these difficult challenges. On May 15, 2015, Governor Abbott signed SB 788 (Kari's Law). The law represents the culmination of efforts in the aftermath of the murder of Kari Hunt in a motel room in Marshall, Texas. Play Video Kari's Law requires direct access to 9-1-1 service from a telephone system that provides outbound dialing without having to first dial a prefix or other access number or code. For more resources on Kari's Law, please visit www.texas911.org. What are the benefits of 9-1-1? 9-1-1 provides a single phone number for use for all types of emergencies: POLICE, FIRE, and MEDICAL. This is important because studies show that 90% of us do not know our emergency phone numbers. Having 9-1-1 reduces the confusion of looking in the directory for the appropriate seven-digit telephone number. Calls are routed over special emergency phone lines Calls are recognized and answered as emergency calls Calls are answered by trained telecommunicators Helps shorten overall response time Helps save lives and property Local Benefits Local governments and public safety answering points benefit from the program by providing only the local operations. TCOG provides planning, implementation, management, as well as ongoing administration of the regional network of systems and financing. State-of-the-Art Service Advances in technology are improving both response time and accuracy (after all, it doesn’t matter how quickly the responders arrive on the scene if they go to the wrong place). With state-of-the-art call-taking equipment that incorporates digital mapping applications in the six 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that TCOG administers, emergency dispatch for more than fifty police, fire and emergency medical service agencies throughout the region is becoming more effective and more reliable all the time. Regional Compliance 100% of the funding for this program comes from the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications. TCOG's staff works to ensure that the Texoma region remains in compliance with their rules and regulations. Who pays for 9-1-1? House Bill 911 allows communities to finance the costs of regional 9-1-1 service in two ways: 1 A 9-1-1 emergency service fee, not to exceed 50 cents per month, is applied to phone lines and collected by the local telephone companies. 2 A 9-1-1 monthly Equalization Surcharge, which is currently at a rate of 6 cents per month, is applied to phone lines and collected by the local telephone companies. Next Generation 9-1-1 The future of 9-1-1. Any device. Any time. Anywhere. Next Generation 9-1-1, or NG911, is defined by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) as "the next evolutionary step in the development of the 9-1-1 emergency communications system known as E9-1-1. NG911 is a system compromised of managed IP-based networks and elements that augment present-day E9-1-1 features and functions and add new capabilities. NG911 will eventually replace the present E9-1-1 system and is designed to provide access to emergency services from all sources and to provide multimedia data capabilities for communications centers and other emergency service organizations." Current Systems The 9-1-1 system currently in place is not broken. In fact, it works well. Currently, 240 million calls are placed to 9-1-1 nationally each year. 20 million of those calls are made here in Texas. However, today’s 9-1-1 system is built on 1960′s technology. It was designed as a wireline, analog system with calls being placed from one fixed location to another. However, times have changed dramatically over the years. We are a much more mobile society than 50 years ago. At present, more than 70 percent of calls placed to 9-1-1 are wireless calls. As technology has changed over the years, certain work-arounds have been put in place for 9-1-1 to be able to handle the new technologies such as wireless and VoIP calls. Even with the advancements we have made, we are quickly reaching the limitations of our current system. 9-1-1 cannot receive text messages, pictures, crash notification information (OnStar, Sync), etc. NG911 Purpose The purpose of NG911 will be to replace our current network infrastructure and allow for a new system that will handle current and future technologies and capabilities and also increase flexibility and interoperability between communications centers across the state. Our staff's role in NG911 Implementation The staff at TCOG 9-1-1 and GIS programs has been partnering with agencies at a regional and state level to plan, prepare and implement NG911. We will continue to work diligently in the months and years to come to bring the newest technologies and services to the citizens of our region. Please remember the following: 1 You can now text 9-1-1 Texting is a good option if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or if your safety will be compromised if you speak out loud. This might include domestic violence, home invasions, abductions, or school shootings. Otherwise, it is always best to call 9-1-1 for help first. If you have an emergency, please dial 9-1-1 and speak with a dispatcher, answer all questions and do not hang up until you are instructed to do so. 2 Always know your location DO NOT assume that 9-1-1 has it. If you do not have an address, be ready to provide the dispatcher with descriptions of landmarks or businesses that are nearby. 3 Know how to use the phone you own With so many different technologies (wireline, wireless, VoIP) and countless types of phones, familiarize yourself with your phone. In a place of business, you may have to dial a "7" or a "9" to get an outside line. With your wireless phone, you would have to press the "send" button to connect the phone. While it may seem simple, being acquainted with your phone may save precious seconds during an emergency. Helpful Tips Never Hesitate Don't hesitate to call for help Exit First In the case of fire, gas leak, or intruder, leave the house before calling. Phone Access Keep the phone close at hand. Emergency Numbers Place emergency numbers on or near every phone. Special Needs List your medical needs and family contacts in a handy place. Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) Our region currently has six (6) PSAPs. A PSAP is a twenty-four (24) hour facility where 9-1-1 calls are answered. Regional PSAPs Cooke County Cooke County Sheriff's Office 300 County Road 451 Gainesville, Texas 76240 (940) 665-3471 www.co.cooke.tx.us Gainesville Police Department 201 Santa Fe St. Gainesville, Texas 76240 (940) 668-7777 www.gainesville.tx.us Fannin County Fannin County Sheriff's Office 2375 Silo Rd. Bonham, Texas 75418 (903) 583-2143 www.co.fannin.tx.us Bonham Police Department 301 E. 5th St. Bonham, Texas 75418 (903) 583-2141 www.bonhampd.com Grayson County Grayson County Sheriff's Office 200 S. Crockett St. Sherman, Texas 75090 (903) 813-4408 www.co.grayson.tx.us Whitesboro Police Department 113 W. Main St. Whitesboro, Texas 76273 (903) 564-3585 www.whitesborotexas.com Secondary PSAP Grayson County also has a secondary PSAP. Van Alstyne Police Department 242 N. Preston Ave. Van Alstyne, TX 75495 (903) 482-5251 www.vanalstynepolice.com Additional Municipal Districts In addition, there are two municipal emergency communications districts located within our region. These agencies are not funded by the TCOG 9-1-1 program but by revenue generated within their city limits. Sherman Police Department 317 S. Travis St. Sherman, TX 75090 (903) 892-7290 www.cityofsherman.com Denison Police Department 108 W. Main St. Denison, TX 75020 (903) 465-2422 www.cityofdenison.com Resources 9-1-1 Documents 9-1-1 PSAP Supervisor Form 9-1-1 TDD TTY Use Log 9-1-1 Trouble Log 9-1-1 Text Use Log 0617 ALI Report Form Call Volume and Equipment Testing Report Form 9-1-1 Videos NENA 9-1-1 Tip #1 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #2 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #3 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #4 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #5 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #6 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #7 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #8 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #9 NENA 9-1-1 Tip #10 9-1-1 Speaks All Languages 9-1-1 Basics Help Us Help You - Address Display Easy as 9-1-1 For kids Cell Phone Sally Activity Book News Sherman Police to purchase armored vehicle March 23, 2020 Texoma Regional 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Awards Banquet 2020 February 28, 2020 Grayson County preparing for next gen 9-1-1 September 10, 2019 Answering the call: Cooke Co., Gainesville emergency comms staff receive regional awards March 14, 2019 Texoma Regional 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Awards Banquet 2019 March 4, 2019 View All News Meet the Team 9-1-1 Beth Eggar 9-1-1 Program Manager 903-893-2161 x3551 Program Staff Miranda Harp Public Safety Specialist 903-893-2161 x3552 1117 Gallagher Drive Sherman, TX 75090 (903) 893-2161 Phone (800) 677-8264 Toll-Free info@texoma.cog.tx.us Upcoming Events DEC 09 FGP Monthly Inservice December 9 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Sherman DEC 11 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event (Sherman) December 11 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Sherman View More… Open Records Requests The Public Information Act Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives you the right to access government records; and an officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask why you want them. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought. For additional information on the Public Information Act and how to submit Open Records Requests to Texoma Council of Governments, please follow the link below. Rights & Responsibilities Search © 2011-2019 Texoma Council of Governments. All Rights Reserved. ContactPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseOWA Hosted by MARJEN Technology Group