Established in 1990, the Mahaska County E911 Center is the main dispatch center for fire, law enforcement and ambulance services in Mahaska County. A staff of 10 work the various shifts to staff the Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They dispatch and process approximately 22,000 calls annually. In addition, staff answers approximately 200,000 phone calls yearly that do not require a dispatched response. Approximately 3,700 people annually come to the Center to make their request for help in person.

What does the E in E911 mean? It stands for, “Enhanced” 911. An Enhanced 911 system identifies the telephone number and address of the person placing the emergency call and displays that information on a computer screen for the dispatcher. In addition, the Mahaska County E911 System displays which agency should be dispatched should your emergency need help from fire, law enforment or ambulance people. The Center dispatches 24 different public safety agencies to your call for help. Should you be unable to speak when you dial 911, help can still be sent to assist you.