Blount County Emergency Communications

What Blount County Emergency Communications does

Blount County Emergency Communications District (BCECD), legally established in 1989, operates as the consolidated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Blount County, Tennessee, headquartered at 1431 William Blount Drive, Maryville, TN. The organization receives 911 emergency calls from the public and dispatches to 4 law enforcement agencies, 7 fire departments, 1 ambulance service (AMR Ambulance), and 1 rescue squad. Its core technology stack includes Next Generation 911 (NG911) infrastructure, a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, Text-to-911 capability (launched June 2020), and a comprehensive GIS-based addressing system that serves as the sole authoritative source for road naming, plat signing, and address assignment across the county. In 2025, the GIS addressing office processed 1,791 new addresses and modified 80,598 existing addresses, while total call volume grew from approximately 70,000 in 2019 to over 200,000 incoming and outgoing calls in 2022.

BCECD is a government entity, not a commercial enterprise, governed by a nine-member Board of Directors with appointees from the Blount County Commission, Maryville City Council, and Alcoa City Commission. The organization employs 35 personnel including 24 full-time and 3 part-time dispatchers, 2 dispatch supervisors, and 5 administrative positions, plus a part-time custodian. The business model is government-funded through 911 fees and county/city budget allocations; emergency services are provided free to citizens. Minor ancillary revenue is generated through public records request fees ($0.15/page B&W, $0.50/page color, $20/audio recording). Distribution is exclusively through the 911 emergency telephone system, with Text-to-911 providing an additional accessibility channel. AMR Ambulance and the Blount County Rescue Squad are co-located within the BCECD facility for coordinated EMS dispatch operations.

The organization's value proposition centers on consolidated emergency communications hub status, cutting-edge technology integration, and a highly trained workforce. BCECD holds no traditional competitive position as the designated PSAP is a government-granted monopoly, but it operates under regulatory oversight including CALEA accreditation processes. Its primary market is geographically fixed to Blount County, Tennessee, with no expansion beyond county boundaries. Key operational metrics demonstrate sustained growth in service demand, while compensation for dispatch positions begins at $21.15/hour with comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, and $50,000 company-paid life insurance.

Name

Blount County Emergency Communications

Legal name

Blount County Emergency Communications District

Website

https://blount911.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blount County Emergency Communications District is the consolidated government Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Blount County, Tennessee, providing 911 call answering and emergency dispatch to 4 law enforcement agencies, 7 fire departments, 1 ambulance service, and 1 rescue squad, serving county residents with 35 specialized personnel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Communications

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Police Protection (922120), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Communications & Dispatch (911/112/999, PSAP) (BPAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK), Emergency, After-Hours & Hotline Contact Centers (BPAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Emergency dispatch services
• 911 call handling
• Public safety communications
• GIS address management
• Emergency response coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Maryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. 911 Emergency Communications Services: The Blount County Emergency Communications District operates as a public safety answering point providing 911 call answering and dispatch services to the county's emergency response agencies. Funding is derived from 911 fees and public tax revenues allocated for emergency communications infrastructure.
2. Public Records: Fees for providing public records including CAD reports, phone audio, and radio transmissions. Fees include $0.15 per page for B&W copies, $0.50 per page for color copies, and $20.00 per audio recording of telephone and radio transmissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Blount County Emergency Communications District operates as the designated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Blount County, Tennessee, receiving 911 emergency calls from the public and dispatching to law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, and rescue services. The district also maintains the county's GIS addressing office for road naming and address assignment, and operates a Text-to-911 service (launched June 2020) for citizens unable to make voice calls.

Product overview

Blount County Emergency Communications District (BCECD) operates as a consolidated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) providing integrated emergency communications services for Blount County, Tennessee. The core offering centers on 911 call handling and dispatch services, supported by Text-to-911 (launched June 2020), a GIS & 911 Addressing office for location validation, and a Hyper-Reach-based emergency alert registration system. The center dispatches to 4 law enforcement agencies, 7 fire departments, 1 ambulance service, and 1 rescue squad, handling over 200,000 calls annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 911 Emergency Call Handling and Dispatch Primary PSAP service receiving 911 calls from the public and dispatching to 4 law enforcement agencies, 7 fire departments, 1 ambulance service, and 1 rescue squad throughout Blount County, Tennessee. Handled over 200,000 incoming and outgoing calls in 2022.
• GIS and 911 Addressing Services Geographic Information System addressing office responsible for approving road names, assigning and validating addresses, signing plats, and maintaining accurate location data for emergency response routing in Blount County. Processed 1,791 new addresses and modified 80,598 addresses in 2025.
• Text-to-911 Emergency text messaging capability enabling citizens unable to make voice calls to send 911 messages to the dispatch center.
• Emergency Alert Registration

Quantifiable outcome

• Answered over 200,000 incoming and outgoing calls in 2022
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AMR AmbulancecoreOthersAmerican Medical Response (AMR) Ambulance service is co-located within the BCECD facility. The dispatch center handles county EMS dispatch which includes both AMR Ambulance and the Blount County Rescue Squad. This co-location enables seamless coordination of emergency medical response.
• Blount County Rescue SquadcoreOthersBlount County Rescue Squad is co-located within the BCECD facility for dispatch coordination. The rescue squad is dispatched through the center's EMS dispatch operations alongside AMR Ambulance.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications: Large Virginia PSAP with consolidated 911 dispatch to multiple public safety agencies using CAD and NG911 systems — similar operating model to BCECD but in a different region.
• Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center: Virginia county PSAP operating consolidated NG911 dispatch with GIS addressing services — functionally analogous to BCECD but serving a different state and demographic.

Others

• Intrado (formerly West Safety Services): Major NG911 infrastructure and PSAP-software vendor whose routing, call-handling, and GIS platforms are widely deployed across U.S. PSAPs like BCECD.

Direct peers

• Hamilton County 911 Emergency Communications District: Tennessee PSAP serving Chattanooga-area agencies with consolidated 911 dispatch, GIS addressing, and NG911 capabilities — directly comparable operating model to BCECD.
• Knox County 911 Communications District: Neighboring East Tennessee PSAP operating a consolidated 911 communications district that dispatches multiple law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies across Knox County — the closest functional and geographic peer to BCECD.
• Anderson County Emergency Communications (TN): East Tennessee county PSAP dispatching law enforcement, fire, and EMS, closely matching BCECD's size and multi-agency consolidation model.
• Metro Nashville Government Department of Emergency Communications: Tennessee's largest PSAP handling consolidated 911 dispatch for Nashville-Davidson County — directly analogous operations (NG911, CAD, Text-to-911) but at much larger scale.
• Williamson County Emergency Communications Center (TN): Tennessee county PSAP providing 911 dispatch to multiple public safety agencies with NG911 and CAD systems, parallel to BCECD's structure and service mix.
• Sevier County 911 Communications District: Adjoining Tennessee county PSAP providing 911 call answering and dispatch services to multiple law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies, structurally comparable to BCECD.

Emerging players

• Mark43: Public-safety software vendor providing CAD, RMS, and analytics used by PSAPs; an emerging alternative to legacy dispatch systems and a relevant ecosystem peer to BCECD's CAD environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blount-county-emergency-communications

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blount County Emergency Communications