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GATESVILLE – There were some anxious moments just over a year ago at which time Gates County closed its 911 Dispatch Center and merged that service with Perquimans County.

It appears that the merger has been successful.

At their regularly scheduled meeting on April 16, the Gates County Board of Commissioners received an update of 911 operations from March 1, 2024 through Feb. 28, 2025. Jonathan Nixon and Julie Solesbee of Perquimans County Emergency Services provided the update.

Solesbee said during that time frame, there were 34,009 calls between the two counties placed to the 911 Communications Center, located in Hertford. Of that total, 26,402 were for law enforcement; 6,033 for EMS; and 1,574 for fire. They also handle calls for the Department of Social Services, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the NC Forest Service and other state agencies.

Nixon reported that the current staffing in the 911 Center are four telecommunicators per shift (there are two shifts per 24-hour period: 6 am – 6 pm and 6 pm to 6 am). There are 16 total full-time telecommunicators on staff along with five part time. There is an Operations Manager and a QA Coordinator that work daily from 7 am until 5 pm.

“We hope to begin advertising in May to add to our part time staff,” Nixon noted.

Solesbee pointed out there were, over the 12-month period, 13 occasions where the 911 Center had to add to the number of telecommunicators working per shift due to weather related events.

She added that two new communications towers, paid through a state grant, will soon be erected to provide better coverage. The completion date is Oct. 3.

Nixon updated the commissioners on plans to expand the current 911 Communications Center, specifically within the space used by the telecommunicators.

“The majority of this project is state funding with a $4.8 million grant,” Nixon said.

“This process has been incredible,” said Emily Truman, chair of the Gates County Commissioners, in addressing the successful merger of 911 dispatch. “Every call has been answered. It was a good move for our county.”

“I’ve spoken with our fire departments and the deputies and they say you guys are doing a phenomenal job,” said Commissioner Nathan Berryman.

“When we started this merger, it was abrupt; there were some hard meetings. It was one of the things that kept me up at night,” said Commissioner Jonathan Craddock. “This does not keep me up at night anymore and I would like to say thank you for that. Ya’ll have done extremely well and my hat is off to you.”