We monitor and reserve the right to hide comments in accordance with our social media terms of use. CENCOM was founded in 1973 as an effort to improve emergency medical dispatching within Kitsap County. In 1976 CENCOM wen...t live as the first consolidated police, fire, and EMS dispatch center in Washington State. Callers dialed 911 but the system did not include any of the features associated with 911 today. In 1983 CENCOM became the 2nd dispatch center in Washington State to deploy "Enhanced 911" which included a display of the caller's address for the dispatcher. The initial intent was to provide:
• A single emergency reporting number (9-1-1) for all Kitsap County citizens
• Expanded emergency communications network for centralized coordination of police, fire, and medical
• A reduction of response time
• Elimination of 29 seven digit emergency numbers
• Consolidate 12 separate dispatch systems
• The ability for emergency response agencies to exchange information
• Enhancement of overall public safety functions
• The ability to meet increased demand for services
The first staff included a director, supervisor, administrative staff, and 20 dispatchers to manage the 24-hour, 365-day operation. Site design, facility construction, formation of operational policy and procedures were completed by the end of 1976, as well as installation of the electronics system, which included implementation of a "geofile". By 1993 9-1-1 had expanded to provide coverage to the entire county and dispatch function for all public safety agencies. Ongoing funding came from the passage of the telephone tax initiative in 2003. In 2015 CENCOM was the first 911 center in Washington State in implement text to 911. In July 2015 the CENCOM Board decided to bring our leadership under a single organization so that Kitsap 911 is more responsive to the changing needs and demographics in our region, more effective at managing our resources, more nimble (increasing our ability to quickly solve problems and take advantage of opportunities, and more transparent (making our plans and decisions more visible). Since that time CENCOM has been working through a transition plan to move from Kitsap County Central Communication, a department of Kitsap County, to Kitsap 911, Public Authority. Kitsap 911 Public Authority began operations on 12/26/2016. Continued exploration into ever changing technology and broader funding mechanisms along with proactive long term planning continue to remain the mainstay of the organization.
