If you need help or see a problem, whom do you call? 911. The ubiquitous service is provided in Johns Creek by a public-private partnership called ChattComm. ChattComm also serves the cities of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, and may serve the new city of Brookhaven in the future.
At a recent City Council work session, ChattComm presented some interesting statistics about the 911 services. In 2013, Johns Creek residents and visitors called the 911 number 18,911 times for police services, 4,724 times for fire services, and 3,082 times for emergency medical services. This averages to 73 calls for help per day, or 3 calls per hour. Clearly, some times are much busier than others. The ChattComm requirement is to answer these calls within 10 seconds, at least 90% of them.
ChattComm also handled an estimated 5,300 calls in which callers hung up before 911 could answer. These calls are especially troubling because they require extra work to confirm that something bad did not happen to the caller. If you call 911, please do not hang up. Stay on the line and let 911 know that you misdialed the number, or no longer need help. Do not prank 911 because they do know who is calling and will call you back.
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The cities of Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody have also enacted ordinances and fines to reduce the number of false alarm security system calls to 911. At this time, the data does not indicate that the call volume to 911 has been reduced.
The five-year contract between ChattComm and the city of Johns Creek for providing 911 services in our community is up for renewal this year. The city of Johns Creek pays $2,225,000 annually for this service. On a per call basis this comes to approximately $25 per call, however, the cost of 911 is mostly in having the service available and ready to respond quickly even if no one calls. About 70% of the money to pay for 911 service ($1,540,000) is collected from the 911 charges on your landline phone bill. The city makes up the deficit in running the 911 services by contributing $685,000 out of general revenues collected from property taxes, business fees, etc.
