Non-Emergencies: (570)992-9911 (24 hrs.) Business Office: (570)992-4500
Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm
Closed weekends
TOURS:
The Monroe County Control Center offers free educational group seminars, including a tour of our 911 Operations Center to groups of 25 or fewer. Your seminar and tour is tailored to the age and composition of your group and generally includes a short of explanation of how 911 works, what information is necessary in a 911 call and a tour of the 911 Operations Center to gain a better understanding of how our equipment works. The entire tour takes approximately 45 minutes, and is concluded with a question and answer session. In the past we have been visited by Fire Company and Ambulance Corps members, senior citizens groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, home-schooled children, various school groups and day camps, in addition to others. If you are interested in setting up a tour for your group, please contact Melissa Harris at:
[email protected] or at
(570)992-4500 Mon.- Fri. during business hours. OUR HISTORY:
The Monroe County Control Center dates back to 1959 when one dispatcher per shift handled calls for Stroudsburg Borough. There was a red light on a small pole on top of a traffic light to notify officers of a call. When the light flashed, the officer went to headquarters or called on the phone to get more information. One light can still be seen on the traffic light at the corner of Main and North 8th Street, Stroudsburg. In 1975 the Boroughs of East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg and the Township of Stroud merged to handle emergency calls through the Monroe County Control Center. Only calls within the three municipalities were dispatched. A Board of Directors was created consisting of two representatives from each of the municipalities. In 1978,as more agencies heard of our operation, the Control Center added Fire, Ambulance and Police dispatch services for the other municipalities throughout the county. They agreed that this method made sense and made the process of calling the Police, Fire or Ambulance more efficient. It also provided a more unified and centralized communications center to assist with requests for mutual aid. At that time, the Control Center was located on the second floor of the former Acme Hose Co. firehouse on South Courtland Street in East Stroudsburg. With the increased call volume, two dispatchers per shift handled all calls. The Control Center then created a user fee formula for those municipalities that requested our dispatching services. It was per capita and based on the “level of service” the municipality received. If a municipality had a full-time police department, that municipality would pay more than a municipality whose law enforcement coverage was provided by the Pennsylvania State Police. There’s more involved with respect to dispatch manpower in dispatching a local officer because our dispatchers keep continuous “status” of the officers. We do not do that for the State Police. When we receive a call from a resident who is requesting police assistance in a State Police covered area, we transfer that caller to the respective State Police barracks for them to handle the request. The Control Center, however, handles all Fire and EMS emergencies throughout Monroe County. In August of 1982, the Monroe County Control Center, with the help of both the Monroe County Commissioners, and spearheaded by the Monroe County Fireman’s Association, moved its operations to the basement of the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg. Between 1982 and 1987, as population and call volume increased, a third dispatcher was added from 0800hrs to midnight. During the time at the Courthouse, the Control Center implemented the first computer aided dispatch system to assist dispatchers in doing their jobs more efficiently. From 1987 through 2000, call volumes significantly increased requiring 2 more dispatchers to be added per shift for a total of 5. In June 2001, in a need for more space, the Monroe County Control Center, with the support of the Monroe County Commissioners moved its operations to the Public Safety Center in Snydersville. Along with this relocation was the installation of the first Enhanced 9-1-1 system which provided a true emergency telephone network along with various “mission critical” technologies. With the increase in technology (cell phones, text to 911, multiple radio frequencies, CAD upgrades, P25 digital radio project) the Control Center has been busier than ever! We now have 4 dispatchers and a supervisor working the midnight shift, 5-6 dispatchers and a supervisor working the dayshift, and 6 dispatchers and a supervisor working the evening shift.
