Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District Welcome to the official page of the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District. Your safety is our top priority. Requests for service CANNOT be made via this site.

At Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, we are committed to keeping our communities safe, connected, and protected - every second, every call, every day. At Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, our mission is to ensure that every resident and visitor in Columbia County has immediate access to emergency services when it matters most. Serving as the essential link between the community and first responders, we are dedicated to providing fast, reliable, and professional 9-1-1 dispatch services. Our dedicated team works around the clock to connect the community to law enforcement, fire districts, medical personnel, and essential community services - because everyone deserves to feel safe, protected, and cared for in our community. PLEASE CALL 9-1-1 TO REPORT AN EMERGENCY

This site IS NOT monitored on a full time basis.

09/28/2026

🚌 MONDAY MORNING 9-1-1 POP QUIZ | SCHOOL BUS EMERGENCIES

School is back in session, buses are on the road, and this week we’re testing one of the most important things to know when calling 9-1-1:

📍 Where are you?

If you witness an emergency involving a school bus, start with the location of the emergency, then tell us what happened.

Once we know where help is needed and what is happening, Columbia 9-1-1 dispatchers can continue asking questions while the appropriate response is being coordinated. We may ask about injuries, vehicles involved, road blockage, or other details responders need.

Those questions aren’t delaying help - they’re helping us provide responders with important information while they’re on their way.

📞 Dispatcher Tip: Whether you’re reporting a crash, fire, medical emergency, or another incident, knowing your location is one of the most important pieces of information you can give 9-1-1.

➡️ What is your closest cross street?
➡️ Can you see numbers on a house or mail box?
➡️ Do you know what mile post you are at if you are on a highway?

How did you do on this week’s quiz?

09/24/2026

COLUMBIA 9-1-1 SEPTEMBER 2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District Board of Directors held its regular meeting, conducting the public business of your 9-1-1 District.

Board meetings are where our elected Board considers and takes action on matters involving District operations, finances, policies, projects, agreements, and other business affecting the emergency communications system serving Columbia County.

🎥 WATCH THE MEETING

Couldn’t attend? You can watch the meeting on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoYaefKBZYs

📑 MEETING INFORMATION

Meeting information and materials are available on our website:

https://www.columbia911.com/general/meeting/board-directors-regular-meeting-3

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

If you watch a public meeting, you will often hear someone “make a motion” and another Board member “second” it.

So, what does that mean?

➡️ A motion is a formal proposal that the Board take a particular action or make a decision.

➡️ A second indicates that another member believes the motion should be considered by the Board. It does not necessarily mean that member agrees with the motion.

Once a motion is properly before the Board, members may discuss it as appropriate before a vote is taken.

These procedures are part of parliamentary procedure, which helps organizations conduct meetings and make decisions in an orderly and documented manner.

📚 Want to learn more? Robert’s Rules of Order is one of the most widely used guides to parliamentary procedure. You can learn more about motions, voting, debate, amendments, and meeting procedure at RobertsRules.com.

Your 9-1-1 District is more than the voices answering emergency calls. Public meetings provide an opportunity to see how the District is governed and how the work behind Columbia County’s emergency communications system gets done.

09/23/2026

🎧 TRAINING BEHIND THE HEADSET

What does it take to become a 9-1-1 dispatcher?

The person answering your call or coordinating responders over the radio didn’t simply learn how to use a telephone and headset. Behind that voice are months of instruction, hands-on practice, supervised training, testing, evaluation, and continued education.

At Columbia 9-1-1, that also means learning Columbia County - our communities, geography, emergency service agencies, and the resources available when someone needs help.

Over the next ten episodes, Training Behind the Headset will take you inside that process, from the first days of training through hands on instruction, sign-off, and the continuing education that follows throughout a dispatcher’s career.

Earning a seat at the console isn’t where training ends - it’s where the responsibility begins.

📍 Next week: Before the Headset — the IHA: where dispatcher training begins.

09/21/2026

🧭 MONDAY MORNING 9-1-1 POP QUIZ | MISSING PERSONS

When someone is missing, details matter.

Could you describe someone you care about beyond their hair color and approximate height?

When a missing person is reported, Columbia 9-1-1 dispatchers may ask for detailed identifying information such as height, weight, race, hair and eye color, scars, marks, tattoos, last-known clothing, medical or cognitive conditions, and where and when the person was last seen.

These questions serve an important purpose. The information helps first responders know exactly who they are looking for and, when applicable, provides identifying information needed for entry into national law-enforcement databases.

📞 Dispatcher Tip: A recent photo can also be extremely helpful. If someone you care about is at increased risk of becoming lost or missing, consider keeping a current photo and an up-to-date description readily available.

How did you do on this week’s quiz?

09/21/2026

Have you ever wondered what happens at a Columbia 9-1-1 Board meeting - or what a Board packet actually is?

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District is a public special district, and meetings of our Board of Directors are an important part of how District business is conducted.

🏛️ WHAT HAPPENS AT A BOARD MEETING?

Board meetings are where the elected Board of Directors conducts District business. Depending on the agenda, meetings may include financial reports, District operations and technology updates, policies, contracts, projects, and other matters affecting the 9-1-1 system serving our community.

📑 WHAT IS A BOARD PACKET?

Before a meeting, Board members receive a packet containing the information they need to prepare for the items on the agenda. A packet may include the meeting agenda, minutes from previous meetings, financial reports, staff reports, proposed agreements, policies, supporting documents, and other materials scheduled for discussion.

You don’t have to be a Board member to read it.

Reviewing the packet before a meeting is one of the easiest ways to understand what your 9-1-1 District is working on and what your elected Board will be discussing.

👥 HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Start by staying informed.

➡️ Review upcoming meetings and agendas.
➡️ Read the Board packet before the meeting.
➡️ Attend a public meeting or join virtually.
➡️ Follow Board decisions by reviewing posted meeting minutes.
➡️ Learn about the District, its budget, services, projects, and the five Board zones representing our community.

Our Board meetings, agendas, packets, and meeting information are available through the Columbia 9-1-1 website.

📅 UPCOMING BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGULAR MEETING

Meeting details, attendance information, and the agenda:
https://www.columbia911.com/general/meeting/board-directors-regular-meeting-3

📖 READ THE BOARD PACKET:
https://www.columbia911.com/media/14506

Your local 9-1-1 system belongs to the community it serves. Staying informed is one of the simplest ways to participate in local government and learn more about the work happening behind the scenes to support emergency communications throughout Columbia County.

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District
Keeping our communities safe, connected, and protected - every second, every call, every day.

Reminder that we still have a burn ban in effect. Follow your local fire district to stay informed of any changes.
09/16/2026

Reminder that we still have a burn ban in effect. Follow your local fire district to stay informed of any changes.

We will never forget.
09/11/2026

We will never forget.

🚨 AUGUST 2026 BY THE NUMBERS 🚨August was another busy month for public safety across Columbia County, with Columbia 9-1-...
09/10/2026

🚨 AUGUST 2026 BY THE NUMBERS 🚨

August was another busy month for public safety across Columbia County, with Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District handling:

📞 7,681 total phone calls
☎️ 2,127 9-1-1 calls and texts

Our dispatchers also coordinated:

🚔 5,385 law enforcement calls for service
🚦 678 traffic stops
🚒🚑 1,218 fire and EMS calls

That means our communications center handled more than 6,600 responder activities during August alone - all while continuing to answer emergency and non-emergency phone lines and support public safety operations around the clock.

August also brought an important milestone for our team.

🎉 Congratulations to Autumn on graduating from our Field Training Program!

After months of classroom instruction, certifications, hands-on training, evaluations, and supervised field experience, Autumn has officially joined our ranks as an independent dispatcher. Her graduation brings Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District to 12 certified dispatchers serving Columbia County.

And as one dispatcher completes the journey, another is beginning it!

👋 Welcome to Nate, who entered our Field Training Program in August. Nate is one of two dispatchers currently in training as they work toward the knowledge, skills, certifications, and experience required to serve independently.

Training a 9-1-1 dispatcher takes many months and requires an experienced Certified Training Officer to work alongside each trainee throughout the process. Every successful graduation represents a significant investment by the trainee, their trainers, and our entire team.

Behind every number we share is a community member who needed assistance and the law enforcement officers, deputies, firefighters, EMS professionals, and other responders who relied on our communications center to help coordinate their response.

We are proud of the progress our team is making, proud of our public safety partners, and proud to serve Columbia County 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Please join us in congratulating Autumn and welcoming Nate! 🎉

🚨 JULY 2026 BY THE NUMBERS 🚨As we catch up on our summer statistics, here is a look back at the public safety activity c...
09/10/2026

🚨 JULY 2026 BY THE NUMBERS 🚨

As we catch up on our summer statistics, here is a look back at the public safety activity coordinated by Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District during July.

Throughout the month, our team handled:

📞 7,341 total phone calls
☎️ 2,041 9-1-1 calls and texts

Our dispatchers also coordinated:

🚔 5,482 law enforcement calls for service
🚦 762 traffic stops
🚒🚑 1,143 fire and EMS calls

July was another busy summer month for public safety across Columbia County. Compared with June, overall phone volume increased, along with law enforcement calls for service, traffic stops, and fire and EMS activity.

Behind every statistic is a person or a public safety responder who relied on our communications center. A single call for service can mean coordinating multiple responding units, monitoring radio traffic and responder safety, communicating with partner agencies, dispatching additional resources, and continuing to support an incident long after the original 9-1-1 call has ended.

Throughout July, this work was carried out by 11 certified dispatchers and 2 dispatchers in training. Because trainees are not yet able to work independently, each works alongside a Certified Training Officer as they develop the skills necessary to become an independent dispatcher.

We are grateful for the dedication of our dispatchers and for the law enforcement, fire, EMS, and public safety professionals we work alongside throughout Columbia County.

Thank you for allowing Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District to serve you.

📡 Emergency Communications Explained – Week 10This week marks the conclusion of our Emergency Communications Explained s...
08/13/2026

📡 Emergency Communications Explained – Week 10

This week marks the conclusion of our Emergency Communications Explained series.

Over the past ten weeks, we explored what happens when you call 9-1-1, why dispatchers ask questions, how location information is used, when to call 9-1-1, Emergency Medical Dispatch, what happens after help is sent, how information reaches responders, and how multiple agencies work together during emergencies.

While every emergency is different, one theme has remained consistent throughout the series: emergency communications is about connecting people with help.

Thank you for following along, asking questions, and learning more about the work that takes place behind the scenes every day at Columbia 9-1-1.

We look forward to continuing to share information about emergency communications, public safety, and our community in future posts.

Address

58611 McNulty Way
Saint Helens, OR
97051

Telephone

+15033971521

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category