Our Department
The Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) is a multi-jurisdictional consolidated emergency communications center located northwest of Atlanta.
The DEC is currently the second-largest emergency communications center in Georgia. It serves as the primary public safety answering point (PSAP) in a county of over 760,000 citizens and millions of tourists and visitors. The agency is responsible for the processing and dispatch of emergency and non-emergency calls for service, with nearly a million calls processed annually. The DEC provides dispatch services for six law enforcement agencies, three fire departments, and the county animal services department.
The Cobb County DEC is recognized as a leading 911 center at the national level, a testament to the team's hard work and dedication. The agency's success is attributed to its robust training program, positive organizational culture, and adherence to processes that meet or exceed national standards. The team's commitment to excellence, teamwork, and professionalism has set a benchmark for others in the industry to follow.
Mission
The mission of the Cobb County Emergency Communications Department is to provide excellent and professional service to the citizens, visitors, and public safety responders of Cobb County. We fully understand the foundation of our profession is service, and we strive to provide this to our citizens at the most superior level possible. We will provide this service in a prompt, courteous, and professional manner, striving for efficiency. We recognize that our ultimate success in this mission is tied directly to the spirit of cooperation and teamwork between the public safety agencies, the Emergency Communications Center staff and the residents and visitors of Cobb County.
Values
As critical members of the public safety team we are defined by the following attributes:
Integrity
We are honest and consistent with colleagues and customers. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct.
Service
We are dedicated to exceeding the standards set for our profession by providing excellent, professional, and responsive service. We provide high quality results on or ahead of schedule.
Pride
We take pride in ourselves, our profession, and our colleagues.
Teamwork
We promote partnerships with internal and external customers. We treat one another with respect and communicate openly. We foster collaboration while maintaining individual accountability.
Open Communications
We discuss potentially contentious issues directly and quickly. We take responsibility for our own communication and conflict resolution. We do not triangulate or spread rumors.
Innovation
We thrive on creativity and ingenuity. We seek the innovation and ideas that can change our profession and improve our service delivery. We are flexible and learn from our experiences. We encourage the best ideas to surface from anywhere within the organization.
Diversity
We value our community’s diversity and work to reflect and respect that diversity in our staff and in the delivery of our services.
Positive Work Environment
We maintain a positive work environment which supports our employees and enhances job quality. We embrace the principles of participative management and personal responsibility and accountability.
Leadership
- Melissa Alterio - Executive Director
- Kevin Gardner - Deputy Director | Technical Services
- Sherika Graham - Deputy Director | Professional Standards & Development
- Tonya Poole - Deputy Director | Operations
Statistics
All Complaints Received in 2024
The following is the number breakdown of complaints for 2024:
Unfounded | 8 | 13% |
Sustained | 35 | 56% |
Exonerated | 18 | 29% |
Not-Sustained | 1 | 2% |
Policy or Procedure Failure | 0 | 0% |
Sustained Complaints in Comparison to Total Calls for Service
Calls/Dispatches Received to date for 2024:
911 Calls (Answered) | 351,754 |
911 Calls (Abandoned) | 18,659 |
Text to 911 | 12,139 |
Admin Calls | 234,734 |
Outgoing Calls | 205,733 |
Total | 823,019 |
Percentage of Sustained Complaints: 0.004%
All Complaints Received in 2023
The following is the number breakdown of complaints received for 2023:
Unfounded | 18 | 29% |
Sustained | 38 | 60% |
Exonerated | 6 | 10% |
Not-Sustained | 1 | 1% |
Policy or Procedure Failure | 0 | 0% |
Sustained Complaints in Comparison to Total Calls for Service
Calls/Dispatches Received to date for 2023:
911 Calls (Answered) | 389,066 |
911 Calls (Abandoned) | 29,047 |
911 Text Calls | 5,901 |
Admin Calls | 241,183 |
Outgoing Calls | 240,095 |
Total | 905,592 |
Percentage of Sustained Complaints: 0.004%
All Complaints Received in 2022
Unfounded: | 28 | 39% |
Sustained: | 31 | 44% |
Exonerated: | 12 | 17% |
Not-Sustained: | 0 | 0% |
Policy or Procedure Failure: | 0 | 0% |
Sustained Complaints in Comparison to Total Calls for Service
Calls/Dispatches Received to date for 2022
911 Calls (Answered): | 378,028 |
911 Calls (Abandoned): | 37,626 |
911 Text Calls: | 1,197 |
Admin Calls: | 247,622 |
Outgoing Calls: | 231,111 |
TOTAL: | 895,584 |
Percentage of Sustained Complaints: | 0.003% |
All Complaints Received in 2021
The following is the number breakdown of complaints for 2021:
Unfounded | 13 | 33% |
Sustained | 16 | 41% |
Exonerated | 6 | 15% |
Not-Sustained | 1 | 3% |
Policy or Procedure Failure | 3 | 8% |
Sustained Complaints in Comparison to Total Calls for Service
Calls/Dispatches Received to date for 2021:
911 Calls (Answered) | 355,686 |
911 Calls (Abandoned) | 18,266 |
911 Text Calls | 3,196 |
Admin Calls | 248,161 |
Outgoing Calls | 230,381 |
Total | 855,690 |
Percentages of Sustained Complaints: 0.02%