Macon-Bibb E-911 center named best in state

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb’s E-911 center is the best in the state. The center was named “911 Center of the Year” by the Georgia Association of Public Safety Communication Officers and the Georgia Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association. 

Dispatchers are working around the clock, with their eyes and ears fixated all around Bibb County. 

“It can go from feast to famine. It can go to no calls to all of a sudden 13 stations in here can receive a call,” says director Dr. Keith Moffett.

Trevor McHolmes has manned the phones for five years and says at times the job can be packed with pressure.

“It can go from 0-60 in a matter of seconds as the old saying goes,” McHolmes said.

Sitting on a shelf in the background of all of the action — an award for a job well done. 

“…like you know what we do matters. Sometimes with dispatch, it’s the forgotten aspect of public service,” McHolmes said. 

The Macon-Bibb E-911 Center was named the center of the year and Moffett says the transition from two separate entities into one center for the consolidated government hasn’t been easy. 

“…with that we took over the emergency communications for the entire county,” Moffett said. 

13 employees are on-call at all times — rotating throughout the day. 

The crew is responsible for dispatching and communicating with deputies, firefighters, and answering phone calls — a logistical hurdle Moffett and his team get over every day. 

“…dealing with some of the more outlying areas of the county. Dealing with livestock and animals. Once again, it’s a challenge that we embrace,” McHolmes said. 

Since merging in January 2014, the call center fields 18% more calls ranging from general questions to major emergencies. Moffett says it’s a public service his team is trained for and awarded in the process.

“That’s one of our biggest things is making sure that people in the community are safe. So, if someone calls in, our first priority is safety,” Moffett said. 

The Georgia 911 Center of the Year is given to a center that shows outstanding leadership, professionalism, innovation, and service to the community it serves.