911 Communications

The Communications Division is a communications hub for all first\emergency response units that serve all municipalities and Douglas County. The Dispatch Center is located in the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.  All 911 calls within Douglas County are received and dispatched from here.

Dispatch provides 24-hour coverage and dispatches for all fire departments, first responder units, local ambulance services, and all local law enforcement agencies including the Alexandria Police Department, Carlos Police Department, and Osakis Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

In an average month, the Communications staff answers between 2,000 and 2,500 emergency calls. There are approximately 30,000 incidents reported annually.

The 911 Center uses Computer-Aided Dispatching (CAD) software tools. CAD saves valuable time in dispatching emergency units. All County squad cars are equipped with mobile computers and receive the calls directly to the unit via computer.

In addition to radio and telephone communications, the 911 Center is connected with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension teletype network and the national teletype network. These networks provide information to and from all law enforcement agencies across the United States, U.S. territories and Canada.

The Communications staff monitors weather advisories and alerts from the National Weather Service, and appropriate information is relayed to other law enforcement agencies throughout the County. Learn more about Code Red, so you can receive weather related information, as well as any pertinent information for your area. The dispatchers provide a valuable link to emergency responders for all Douglas County residents.