Our Dispatch Center is staffed 24 hours a day with telecommunicators and supervisors to ensure that all calls are handled with urgency, and to ensure the proper agency responds as quickly as possible. Dispatch is comprised of 59 dispatchers, 6 shift Supervisors, a Training Coordinator, a Dispatch Operations Manager, and a Dispatch Director. All staff is committed to serving the public during times of crisis, with courtesy and professionalism. All dispatchers work 8 hour shifts and are trained and certified in EMD (emergency medical dispatch). With EMD certification, all telecommunicators are required to provide pre-arrival instructions over the phone as needed until emergency personnel arrive on scene.
Macomb County Dispatch serves as the center of communication for Police, Fire and EMS within it's jurisdictions. We are committed to providing one point of contact for all emergency and non-emergency calls within:
- Armanda Village and Township
- Bruce Township
- Clinton Township
- Harrison Township
- Lenox Township
- Macomb Township
- Mount Clemens
- Ray Township
- Richmond Township
- Sterling Heights
- Village of New Haven
- Washington Township
About us
How does my call get to 9-1-1?
When you call from a residential or business landline, the phone number of the phone determines which 9-1-1 center you reach. Each 9-1-1 center or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) has an extensive list of phone numbers that are designated to come to that center.
If you call from a cell phone the procedure is slightly different as they are not associated with one fixed location. Cell phones transmit to the nearest cellular tower and from there to the closest 9-1-1 center. The 9-1-1 center is determined by the location of the cell tower. If you are close to a county or state border, you may get routed to the wrong 9-1-1 center in which you would then be transferred to the correct jurisdiction.
TEXTING to 9-1-1
Although voice calling is the best preferred method for contacting 9-1-1 during an emergency, we understand that at times this option may not be feasible. Macomb County is one of the many counties in Michigan that implemented text to 9-1-1. To text 9-1-1, simply enter “911” in the phone number text box and state the location of your emergency.
- If you attempt to send a text to 9-1-1 where the service is not available, you will receive an automatic “bounce-back” message that will advise you to contact emergency services by another means.
The telecommunicator will answer and ask where your emergency is, the call-back number, your name, and nature of the emergency.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, the telecommunicator will send police, fire, or EMS to the emergency scene.
Tips for contacting 9-1-1
Tell the emergency operator the location of the emergency right away. Provide the operator with your phone number (wireless or landline), so if the call gets disconnected, the operator can call you back. They will ask a series of questions, please answer them the best you can. These questions are to help the responders know what to prepare for and can save not just time but possibly lives.
Unintentional wireless 911 calls often occur when auto-dial keys are inadvertently pressed, should this occur please stay on the line and advise the telecommunicator that it was an accidental call. A telecommunicator will often ask for your general information and location as a protocol.
If you are unable to call 911 for any reason, our dispatch center is able to process text messages. Enter 911 into the phone number field and begin the text with the location of the emergency.
- Dispatch Non-Emergency Line: 586-469-5502
- On Duty Dispatch Supervisor Line: 586-307-9445
- Dispatch Operations Manager Elizabeth Bagos: 586-469-7859
- Director Angela Elsey: 586-307-9356