What Knox County Emergency Communications does

Knox County Emergency Communications District, operating as Knox 911, is an independent political body created under Tennessee State Law and authorized by Knox County voters to provide emergency 911 telephone access and dispatch services. Established on September 2, 1986 and activated on January 1, 1987, the district operates as a consolidated 911 center serving Knox County and the City of Knoxville, Tennessee. It dispatches for the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Fire Department, and Karns Fire Department, with American Medical Response (AMR)/Rural Metro Communications co-located in the same facility to coordinate ambulance, Rural Metro Fire, Seymour Volunteer Fire, and Knox County Rescue Squad services.

The district's technology platform centers on a modern computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, an 800 MHz analog radio system (the first in Tennessee and the third in the United States at the time of deployment in February 1987), a P25 Digital radio system implemented in 2016 with a master site in the Tennessee Valley Regional Communications System, and Text-to-911 capability launched in February 2021. A county-wide radio network supports more than 2,000 users. The current 605 Bernard Avenue facility was purchased from Knoxville Utilities Board in 2000 and brought online with an $11 million investment in facilities and technology by 2003. The district was the first communications district in Tennessee to earn CALEA accreditation (2002) and the first in history to receive the CALEA Tri-Arc Award (2004).

Knox 911 is government-funded through emergency telephone access fees and taxes, with no commercial sales motion. It employs 78 trained personnel and is governed by an eleven-member board whose composition is dictated by Tennessee state law. Services are provided free to the public, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The district is not a privately held or publicly traded entity and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding rounds.

Name

Knox County Emergency Communications

Legal name

Knox County Emergency Communications District

Website

https://knox911.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knox County Emergency Communications District (Knox 911) is a government-funded consolidated 911 center in Knoxville, Tennessee, providing emergency call answering and dispatch for law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies serving Knox County and the City of Knoxville.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Emergency Communications

NAICS

Police Protection (922120)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Dispatch Center Services (PSAP/911 Support, Private Dispatch) (BPAKAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch (HLAJAGAC)

Keywords

• Emergency dispatch services
• 911 call answering
• Public safety communications
• Computer-aided dispatch
• Emergency radio network

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

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. Emergency Communications Services: Government-funded emergency communications district providing 911 services. Funded through emergency telephone access fees and taxes as an independent political body created under Tennessee State Law.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Knox County Emergency Communications District (Knox 911) operates a consolidated 911 call center that answers all emergency calls placed within Knox County and the City of Knoxville. It provides dispatch services to law enforcement (Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department), fire departments (Knoxville Fire Department, Karns Fire Department), and co-locates with AMR/Rural Metro Communications to dispatch ambulance, rural fire, Seymour Fire, and Knox County Rescue operations.

Product overview

Knox County Emergency Communications District (Knox 911) operates as a consolidated emergency communications center providing 911 call answering and dispatch services to Knox County and the City of Knoxville. The core offerings include emergency 911 call answering, law enforcement dispatch (Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department), fire department dispatch (Knoxville Fire Department, Karns Fire Department), a county-wide P25 digital radio network serving over 2000 users, Text to 911 technology for text-based emergency reporting, computer-aided dispatch, alarm ordinance registration, and E911 records requests. The center is co-located with AMR/Rural Metro Communications which provides additional ambulance and fire dispatch services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency 911 Call Answering Services Consolidated 911 center answering all emergency calls located in Knox County and the City of Knoxville, providing emergency telephone access and dispatch services.
• Law Enforcement Dispatch Services Provides dispatch services to Knox County Sheriff's Office and Knoxville Police Department for emergency response coordination.
• Fire Department Dispatch Services Provides dispatch services to Knoxville Fire Department and Karns Fire Department for fire incident response.
• Emergency Medical Dispatch (AMR/Rural Metro co-located) AMR/Rural Metro Communications is co-located in the Knox 911 facility and provides dispatch service for AMR Ambulance, Rural Metro Fire, Seymour Fire, and Knox County Rescue Squad.
• Text to 911 Technology allowing people to place a 911 call via text, providing accessibility for those who cannot safely make a traditional voice 911 call.
• Alarm Ordinance Registration Registration system for business and residential alarm systems within the City of Knoxville and Knox County, enabling quick contact with alarm monitoring companies and keyholders in emergencies.
• E911 Records Request Records request service providing E911 printout and audio documentation to authorized requesters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 2000+ users on county-wide radio network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tennessee Valley Regional Communications SystemcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Knox 911 joined the Tennessee Valley Regional Communications System in 2016 when they began moving to the P25 Digital radio system. They built an additional master site as part of this system, enabling interoperability with other regional emergency communications networks.
• AMR/Rural Metro CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMR/Rural Metro Communications is co-located in the Knox 911 facility and provides dispatch service for AMR Ambulance service, Rural Metro Fire, Seymour Fire and Knox County Rescue. This co-location enables seamless coordination of emergency medical services and fire/rescue operations within the same dispatch center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Motorola Solutions: Major vendor of mission-critical communications infrastructure (P25 radio systems, CAD software) used by PSAPs including Knox 911. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose radio and dispatch technology platforms underpin operations at Knox and many peer PSAPs.
• Hexagon Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial: Provider of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and public safety software used by PSAPs and 911 centers. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose CAD platforms compete for the same operational technology budget that Knox 911 allocates.
• Intrado (West Safety Services): Long-established provider of 911 network infrastructure, call-routing, and PSAP support services. Comparable as a broad incumbent that has historically served as a primary 911 backend and ALI (Automatic Location Information) provider for many U.S. PSAPs.

Emerging players

• Carbyne: Cloud-native 911 platform providing IP-based call handling, live video, and rich-media capabilities to PSAPs. Comparable as an emerging player delivering NG911-adjacent capabilities that established PSAPs like Knox 911 may adopt during modernization.
• RapidSOS: Emergency data intelligence platform that ingests device-based location and sensor data directly into PSAP workflows. Comparable as an emerging player whose technology increasingly integrates with PSAP CAD systems to enhance caller location and data — a likely future capability for Knox 911.

Direct peers

• Nashville Emergency Communications Center: Consolidated 911 dispatch center serving Nashville/Davidson County, Tennessee. Directly comparable as another Tennessee metropolitan PSAP performing law enforcement, fire, and EMS dispatch under a unified center model.
• Hamilton County Emergency Communications District (Chattanooga): Consolidated 911 center serving Hamilton County, Tennessee. Comparable as a neighboring Tennessee PSAP that is part of the same Tennessee Valley Regional Communications System that Knox 911 joined in 2016.
• Memphis 911 Emergency Communications District (Shelby County): Consolidated PSAP serving Shelby County, Tennessee. Comparable as a Tennessee metropolitan emergency communications district providing multi-agency dispatch and 911 call answering under a similar state-law governance structure.
• Rutherford County 911: Emergency communications district serving Rutherford County, Tennessee. Comparable as a Tennessee county-level PSAP operating under the same state law framework with consolidated dispatch for law enforcement, fire, and EMS.

Others

• APCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials): Industry association for public safety communications professionals and PSAPs, including standards, training, and accreditation-related programs relevant to Knox 911. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that shapes PSAP operational standards and training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Knox County Emergency Communications