NCDJPA

What NCDJPA does

North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority (NCDJPA), operating under the DBA "North Comm," is a California Joint Powers Authority formed in 2012 to provide consolidated 24/7 fire, medical, and security emergency dispatch services to public agencies across North San Diego County. The organization serves nine member agencies — Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, North County Fire Protection District, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District, San Marcos, Solana Beach, and Vista — and seven contract agencies that include tribal fire departments (Pauma, Pala, Rincon, San Pasqual reservations), an ambulance district (CSA-17), a contract fire district (Valley Center FPD), and a private security service (Rancho Santa Fe Patrol). NCDJPA's communications center, based in Rancho Santa Fe, answers approximately 200 emergency calls per day and operates with 16 full-time dispatchers, three shift supervisors, and five part-time dispatchers supported by IT, GIS, finance, operations, and administrative functions.

The technical core is a Central Square Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) platform that provides dynamic unit recommendation, automated address retrieval, and equipment response assignment by call type. The CAD system sits atop a county-wide 800 MHz Regional Communications System (RCS) trunked radio backbone, supplemented by Mobile Data Computers in member-agency apparatus and Windows-based dispatch consoles (five staffed, expandable to eight). NCDJPA has deployed Text-to-9-1-1 for accessibility and participates in the Regional CAD Interoperability Project (RCIP), which enables CAD data and resource sharing with neighboring dispatch centers. A VHF Regional Infrastructure Project, funded by $2.2 million in UASI grant funds accepted since May 2017, has placed back-up radio equipment at seven sites across the region and deployed five portable repeaters.

NCDJPA is funded through member-agency contributions and government grants rather than commercial contracts. Revenue, contract terms, and pricing are not publicly disclosed, consistent with its character as a public agency. Operations and integration partners include Commline Inc. (VHF infrastructure), Central Square Technologies (CAD), Twenty First Century Communications / AlertSanDiego (regional notification), Heartland Fire Communications, Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, San Diego Sheriff's Department, and others. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from member agencies, with no private-equity or corporate parent ownership structure.

Name

NCDJPA

Legal name

North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority

Website

https://ncdjpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCDJPA is a California Joint Powers Authority providing 24/7 consolidated fire, medical, and security emergency dispatch services to nine municipal member agencies and seven contract agencies across North San Diego County, using a Central Square CAD system and interoperable 800 MHz radio infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Emergency Dispatch Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160), Fire Protection (92216), Police Protection (922120)

akta.pro primary industry

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

911/Public EMS Agencies (Municipal/County/Fire-Based) (HLAFANAA), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch (HLAJAGAC), Emergency Dispatch Center Services (PSAP/911 Support, Private Dispatch) (BPAKAFAJ)

Keywords

• Emergency dispatch services
• Fire medical dispatch
• 911 call handling
• Public safety communications
• CAD systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Rancho Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency Dispatch Services: Provides fire and medical emergency dispatch services to member fire departments and agencies under Joint Powers Authority agreements. Revenue is generated through service contracts with municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, and tribal fire departments in North San Diego County.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NCDJPA (North Comm) provides 24/7 fire and medical emergency dispatch services to municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, tribal fire departments, and one private security patrol in North San Diego County. Core operations center on 911 call-taking, Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) pre-arrival instructions, and radio dispatch of field units via a Central Square Computer-Aided Dispatch system, supported by an 800 MHz county-wide trunked radio network and regional interoperability projects.

Product overview

NCDJPA (North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority), commonly referred to as North Comm, provides fire and medical emergency dispatch services to city fire departments in North San Diego County and private security dispatch to Rancho Santa Fe Patrol. The core service is a unified Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system using Central Square software, augmented by 800 MHz regional radio infrastructure, Text to 9-1-1 capability, and regional interoperability projects (RCIP). Supporting services include mobile technical support for member agencies, VHF backup radio infrastructure, and access to third-party platforms including Tablet Command for incident management and Intterra for situational awareness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire and Medical Emergency Dispatch Services Primary 24/7 911 dispatch service for fire and medical emergencies, including call-taking, Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) pre-arrival instructions, and radio dispatch of field units, delivered to municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, and tribal fire departments in North San Diego County.
• Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Central Square CAD system providing dynamic unit recommendations based on closest available units suitable for call type, automated address retrieval, processing of location information, and equipment response assignment by call type.
• VHF Regional Infrastructure Back-up radio communications infrastructure providing interoperable communications capabilities for regional fire agencies across multiple strategic sites in North San Diego County, funded through UASI grants.
• Regional CAD Interoperability Project (RCIP) Collaborative initiative enabling emergency services CAD systems across San Diego County public safety agencies to manage and share data and resources during incidents affecting the region.
• Mobile Technical Support Technical support services for member agency mobile devices and Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) deployed in fire apparatus, providing IT assistance via the NCDJPA Help Desk (Spiceworks).
• 800 MHz Regional Communications System (RCS) County-wide 800 MHz trunked radio system allowing all public safety agencies to operate on one common frequency band for interoperable communications across North San Diego County.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 emergency calls answered per day
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Commline Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationAwarded RFP for VHF Regional Infrastructure Project to provide equipment and services for backup radio communications infrastructure at multiple sites including Crest Reservoir, Ellery Reservoir, Fire Mountain Reservoir, and others across North San Diego County.
• San Diego Operational AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative participation in Regional Computer-Aided Dispatch Interoperability Project (RCIP) enabling data and resource sharing during incidents affecting the San Diego region.
• AlertSanDiego / Twenty First Century CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationCounty of San Diego regional notification system partnership enabling telephone notifications to residents and businesses impacted by emergencies or disasters.
• San Diego County Fire AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network including Heartland Fire Communications, Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, San Diego Sheriff's Department, Cal Trans for coordinated emergency response and mutual aid.
• Central Square TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system providing dynamic unit recommendation, address retrieval, and automated processing of emergency response information.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection): CAL FIRE operates statewide emergency command centers coordinating fire, EMS, and all-hazard incident response across California. A broader incumbent that overlaps with NCDJPA's service area and collaborates on mutual aid.
• Los Angeles County Fire Department Communications: LA County Fire operates one of the largest regional fire/EMS dispatch operations in the U.S., serving over 4 million residents and 60+ cities. A larger, established public-safety dispatch incumbent with comparable CAD and radio infrastructure.

Regional players

• San Diego County Sheriff's Communications Center: San Diego County Sheriff's Communications Center dispatches law enforcement across the county. Operates in the same region as NCDJPA with overlapping public-safety communications infrastructure, but focused on police rather than fire/EMS dispatch.

Direct peers

• Orange County Fire Authority: OCFA operates its own regional fire communications and dispatch center serving 23 member cities and the unincorporated areas of Orange County, California. Comparable to NCDJPA in providing multi-agency consolidated fire/EMS dispatch under a JPA-style governance model.
• Riverside County Fire Department / CAL FIRE Riverside: Riverside County Fire Department operates a regional emergency command center dispatching fire and EMS resources across Riverside County, California. Direct comparable in scale, multi-jurisdictional service model, and California public-safety operating environment.
• Heartland Fire Communications: Heartland Fire Communications provides consolidated fire and EMS dispatch services to multiple fire agencies in the East County region of San Diego County. It is the closest geographic and functional peer to NCDJPA, serving a different sub-region of the same county.
• Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center: Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District operates a regional communications center dispatching fire and EMS across the Sacramento region. Comparable regional consolidated dispatch model serving multiple municipal and district fire agencies under a single communications backbone.

Others

• APCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials): APCO International is the leading industry association for public-safety communications professionals and 911 dispatch centers. Sets standards, training, and certification frameworks relevant to NCDJPA's operations and peer comparable centers.
• Central Square Technologies: Central Square is the provider of NCDJPA's Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) platform. While not a peer in service delivery, it is a key ecosystem vendor for public-safety dispatch and adjacent comparable regional centers.

Emerging players

• RapidSOS: RapidSOS provides a next-generation 911 data platform that connects smartphones, IoT devices, and connected vehicles to emergency dispatch centers. An emerging player in the same dispatch ecosystem that NCDJPA could integrate to enhance data-driven response.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ncdjpa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncdjpa
• Instagraminstagram.com/northcommdispatchers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 NCDJPA