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.

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.

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.

• Melissa Alterio - Executive Director
• Kevin Gardner - Deputy Director | Technical Services
• Sherika Graham - Deputy Director | Professional Standards & Development
• Tonya Poole - Deputy Director | Operations

• 2024 Annual Report
• 2023 Annual Report