About the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications

Richmond’s Department of Emergency Communications answers and dispatches all 911 and non-emergency calls for the city of Richmond. It also provides and supports the public safety infrastructure. Answering more than 450,000 calls for service yearly, it is one of the busiest emergency communications centers in Virginia. After a multi-year process of evaluation, it earned the national Public Safety Communications Accreditation on May 4, 2019, from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA). Less than 2 percent of all emergency communications centers in the United States earn this accreditation.

Mission 

We exist to answer and dispatch all 911 and non-emergency calls as well as provide and support public safety infrastructures for citizens and other stakeholders of Richmond, internal City departments and other external partners in order to ensure safety by linking the public with first responders and other non-emergency services so that we deliver efficient, expedient, courteous quality service which promotes a safe, supportive, and thriving community.

Vision

We sustain customer trust by providing reliable emergency communications services in a timely and efficient manner.

Department overview

The Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) is designated as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Richmond’s E-911 telephone system and is charged with the appropriate routing of E-911 and non-emergency calls for service. The department shall also be responsible for the coordination of all emergency radio and telephone communications for Public Safety Agencies of the City of Richmond.

Core values

Emergency response

In the event of an emergency, such as an accident with injuries or a crime in progress, please call 911. If you cannot call, you may send a text to 911. 

How to get help from 911