Berkeley's 911 dispatch center is getting $1 million in state funding, State Sen. Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland) announced. The center handles about 180,000 calls a year for fire, police and emergency medical services.
What the money buys
According to Arreguín's office, the funding will expand the Communications Center, upgrade software and technology to improve response times, and add a wellness space for dispatchers who handle high-impact calls. Berkeleyside's roundup, citing the Daily Cal, said the money will also upgrade hardware and outfit a new classroom.
The state investment builds on Measure FF, a parcel tax Berkeley voters approved in 2020 to fund firefighting, emergency response and 911 upgrades.
"When someone in Berkeley dials 911, the person who answers is their lifeline," Mayor Adena Ishii said in the announcement. Arreguín, a former Berkeley mayor who chairs the Senate Public Safety Committee, said a modern dispatch center is critical so first responders can act quickly.
Arreguín's office pointed to a 2019 Berkeley City Auditor report on the dispatch center's challenges as background for the investment.