Cobb 911 call answer time outperforms the national standard

Icons for police, medical personnel, firefighters, 911 operators

Cobb County announced in a news release that its 911 center processed 905,292 calls in 2023. 

Also, according to the news release, the county’s 911 staff answered 91.7 percent of incoming emergency calls in under 15 seconds.

This outperforms the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) call-answering standard, which recommends that “90% of all 9‑1‑1 calls be answered within 15 seconds and 95% answered within 20 seconds.”

“We are incredibly proud of our team and the hard work they have put in to keep Cobb County safe as we have navigated staffing challenges that affect many emergency communications centers nationwide,” the news release continues. “The critical work of being under the headset is never easy, and we’d like to take a moment to thank our team and every headset hero out there. Your unwavering commitment to this line of work does not go unnoticed, and we thank you for your role in keeping your communities safe.”

Director Melissa Alterio leads the Cobb 911 system.

According to the department’s web page:

Created in 1987, Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications (E911) answers about 1,200 emergency phone calls and 1,000 non-emergency phone calls daily, totaling 800,000 phone calls each year.

  • Cobb County E911 is a 24-hour, toll-free voice for emergency calls for service.
  • All E911 employees are CPR, Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certified, enabling them to give life saving instructions until help arrives.
  • Cobb County E911 dispatches units for the Cobb County Police, Fire, and Animal Services Departments, Marietta Police and Fire Departments, Powder Springs Police Department, and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Cobb County E911 subscribes to the AT&T Language line which can translate over 140 languages. It is normally accessed by using three-way calling to a 1-800 number.
  • All E911 Department personnel are TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) and TTY (Teletypewriter) certified for the deaf and hearing impaired. By federal law, access to 911 must be provided to the deaf and hearing impaired.
  • Our department operates six (6) twelve hour shifts.

About Cobb County

Cobb County is the third most populous county in Georgia, smaller only than Fulton and Gwinnett counties.

The governing authority is the five-member Cobb County Board of Commissioners, which includes a Chairperson and four district commissioners.

The current board is:

ChairwomanLisa Cupid
District 1 CommissionerKeli Gambrill
District 2 CommissionerJerica Richardson
District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell
District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield

The U.S. Census Bureau gives the following quick facts about the county:

PeoplePopulation
Population Estimates, July 1 2021, (V2021)766,802
Population estimates base, April 1, 2020, (V2021)766,149
Population, percent change – April 1, 2020 (estimates base) to July 1, 2021, (V2021)0.1%
Population, Census, April 1, 2020766149
Population, Census, April 1, 2010688078
Age and Sex
Persons under 5 years, percent5.6%
Persons under 18 years, percent22.7%
Persons 65 years and over, percent13.3%
Female persons, percent51.3%
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent61.7%
Black or African American alone, percent(a)29.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a)0.5%
Asian alone, percent(a)5.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a)0.1%
Two or More Races, percent2.8%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)13.7%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent50.2%
Population Characteristics
Veterans, 2016-202040562
Foreign born persons, percent, 2016-202015.6%
Housing
Housing units, July 1, 2021, (V2021)311450
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2016-202065.8%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2016-2020$273,900
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2016-2020$1,672
Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2016-2020$474
Median gross rent, 2016-2020$1,264
Building permits, 20213247
Families & Living Arrangements
Households, 2016-2020283359
Persons per household, 2016-20202.63
Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2016-202084.6%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2016-202020.5%
Computer and Internet Use
Households with a computer, percent, 2016-202097.2%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2016-202093.3%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202092.6%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202048.4%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2016-20206.2%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent13.8%
Economy
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202069.6%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202064.3%
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c)2056579
Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c)5569500
Total transportation and warehousing receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c)1536858
Total retail sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c)18543691
Total retail sales per capita, 2017(c)$24,615
Transportation
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2016-202031.2
Income & Poverty
Median household income (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$80,830
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$41,480
Persons in poverty, percent9.2%
BusinessesBusinesses
Total employer establishments, 202021492
Total employment, 2020358927
Total annual payroll, 2020 ($1,000)21780372
Total employment, percent change, 2019-2020-0.3%
Total nonemployer establishments, 201986497
All employer firms, Reference year 201717066
Men-owned employer firms, Reference year 201710386
Women-owned employer firms, Reference year 20173537
Minority-owned employer firms, Reference year 20173058
Nonminority-owned employer firms, Reference year 201712177
Veteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 20171204
Nonveteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 201713909
GeographyGeography
Population per square mile, 20202254.8
Population per square mile, 20102026.4
Land area in square miles, 2020339.78
Land area in square miles, 2010339.55

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