The Emergency Communications Center was placed in service in the summer of 1983 as a joint project between the City and County officials to operate one centralized PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) to handle all emergency calls for public safety agencies. The Center has an established advisory board with representatives from various public safety departments within Wilson County. The 911 Center is the lifeline between the citizens needing assistance and the proper emergency agency being dispatched to render professional services. The Center also provides the capability for hearing impaired individuals to communicate in the event of an emergency. A special TDD telephone system is used along with a seven-digit phone number. The Centers TDD equipment is capable of handling HDO (Hearing Carry Over) and VCI (Voice Carry Over) calls. In addition to the normal dispatching duties for the various agencies in Wilson County, the Center also houses the Emergency Operations Center for use in the event of major disasters or events that may occur. The Emergency Operations Center will allow key individuals easier access in coordinating with emergency units during a disaster.