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:
| Chairwoman | Lisa Cupid |
| District 1 Commissioner | Keli Gambrill |
| District 2 Commissioner | Jerica 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, 2020 | 766149 |
| Population, Census, April 1, 2010 | 688078 |
| Age and Sex | |
| Persons under 5 years, percent | 5.6% |
| Persons under 18 years, percent | 22.7% |
| Persons 65 years and over, percent | 13.3% |
| Female persons, percent | 51.3% |
| Race and Hispanic Origin | |
| White alone, percent | 61.7% |
| 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, percent | 2.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) | 13.7% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent | 50.2% |
| Population Characteristics | |
| Veterans, 2016-2020 | 40562 |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2016-2020 | 15.6% |
| Housing | |
| Housing units, July 1, 2021, (V2021) | 311450 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2016-2020 | 65.8% |
| 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, 2021 | 3247 |
| Families & Living Arrangements | |
| Households, 2016-2020 | 283359 |
| Persons per household, 2016-2020 | 2.63 |
| Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2016-2020 | 84.6% |
| Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2016-2020 | 20.5% |
| Computer and Internet Use | |
| Households with a computer, percent, 2016-2020 | 97.2% |
| Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2016-2020 | 93.3% |
| Education | |
| High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-2020 | 92.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-2020 | 48.4% |
| Health | |
| With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2016-2020 | 6.2% |
| Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent | 13.8% |
| Economy | |
| In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-2020 | 69.6% |
| In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-2020 | 64.3% |
| 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+, 2016-2020 | 31.2 |
| 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, percent | 9.2% |
| BusinessesBusinesses | |
| Total employer establishments, 2020 | 21492 |
| Total employment, 2020 | 358927 |
| Total annual payroll, 2020 ($1,000) | 21780372 |
| Total employment, percent change, 2019-2020 | -0.3% |
| Total nonemployer establishments, 2019 | 86497 |
| All employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 17066 |
| Men-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 10386 |
| Women-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 3537 |
| Minority-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 3058 |
| Nonminority-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 12177 |
| Veteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 1204 |
| Nonveteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 13909 |
| GeographyGeography | |
| Population per square mile, 2020 | 2254.8 |
| Population per square mile, 2010 | 2026.4 |
| Land area in square miles, 2020 | 339.78 |
| Land area in square miles, 2010 | 339.55 |
