Recent Updates
James L. Campbell
Albany County Sheriff
John R. Mahan
Undersheriff
jmahan@albanycounty.com
William C. Cox
Chief Deputy
wcox@albanycounty.com
Craig D. Apple
Chief Deputy
capple@albanycounty.com
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911 Communication Center
The Albany County Sheriff’s Communication Center was opened on February 28, 1996. This center handles calls for service by the public, acts as the primary dispatch for the Sheriff’s Department and various Albany County Volunteer Fire and EMS departments. Additionally, the Center dispatches 911 Emergency Calls to the New York State Police, New York State Park Police and the Sheriff’s Department patrol units for calls for service to the Hilltowns of the County and surrounding areas.
Since 1996, the Center has grown in size and technology. The Communication Center is on the “fast track” to becoming one of the leading Communication Centers in technology and advancement. The Center currently has the capability of dispatching to law enforcement units calls for service via mobile data terminals (computers within the patrol car), utilizing “enhanced 911 features” to determine the location of 911 callers, utilizes a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system for dispatching police, fire and ems and has the ability to automatically make phone calls to persons or businesses by geographical locations utilizing a computer. The system has the ability to make “mass” calls, relaying emergency information to the community or target group or area. This system, dubbed, “The Albany County Community Emergency Support System (ACCESS)” is made available to all Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) throughout the County, many of which routinely use the system. In the near future, additional banks of phone lines will be added to this system bringing the total to 500 phone lines, which the system will have the ability to utilize to make outgoing calls at one single time.
In April of 2004, the County of Albany adopted a plan to develop a region-wide Emergency Service Interoperability Radio System (ESIRS). To date, many police, EMS, emergency service agencies and Fire Departments operate on separate radio frequencies, without the ability to communicate directly between departments. The ESIRS system, which is on the verge of being deployed, will enable police, fire, EMS and emergency service commanders from ANY municipality to communicate directly with one another using two-way radios. The system will be monitored and controlled through the Albany County Communication Center with the intent to provide a command and control system for the coordination of County and Region Wide incidents.
In the very near future the Albany County Sheriff’s Communication Center will be receiving wireless 911 calls. The enhanced system being deployed by the Sheriff’s Department will register via GPS the callers location and route the wireless 911 call directly to the appropriate geographical public safety answering point, speeding the answering time and response by emergency service agencies.
