Fairfax County 9-1-1 Center (Department of Public Safety Communications)
The county's 9-1-1 Center, known as the Department of Public Safety Communications or DPSC, is a nationally recognized public safety communications center, one of the 50 largest in the United States and the largest in Virginia. It is the agency responsible for receiving all 9-1-1 emergency calls in Fairfax County and dispatching units of the Fairfax County Police Department and Fire Department and is the Public Safety Answering Point for all 9-1-1 calls dialed in Fairfax County, including the towns of Herndon and Vienna, and the City of Fairfax. DPSC receives and handles approximately 2 million calls per year.
DPSC personnel are highly trained professional public safety communicators. They provide Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Pre-Arrival Instruction (PAI) in requests for emergency medical service (EMS) and assist with basic life-saving assistance until EMS units arrive. They do not give medical advice or recommend private sector services, such doctors, veterinarians, tow companies, locksmiths, etc., by name. They will direct you to other county/state agencies if necessary to handle your inquiries. They are proud to serve the public safety needs of Fairfax County, Virginia.
The safety of the public is our number one
priority. Emergencies occur 24 hours a day; therefore, nights, weekends
and holidays are part of the regularly scheduled hours for the more than
150 employees. Employees assigned to the Department of Public Safety
Communications are divided among four squads. Each squad works a 12 hour
shift schedule. There are two permanent day squads, and two permanent
night squads. For information about shift schedules, please go to the DPSC Shift Schedules page.