Company Profile
Bell County Communications Center
Company Overview
Mission:
Bell County Communications Center provides integrated and enhanced emergency coordination and communications to assist the protection of the lives and property of the residents and visitors of Bell County, and to ensure the safety and well-being of all first responders.
Vision:
To be the model for excellence as a multi-functional, multi-jurisdictional emergency communications center.
Operations:
The core functions provided by the Bell County Communications Center (Center) are the answering and processing of 911 calls, the dispatching of the appropriate first responders and the maintenance of the technological infrastructure to make this communication as efficient and reliable as possible.
Emergency Communications Specialists are those that directly provide the emergency communication either by call-taking (answering 911 calls) or dispatching (radio dispatching responding units).
Leadership levels within the Operations teams consist of Assistant Team Leaders and a Team Leader for each shift.
Based on expected call volume, each shift staffs between 2-6 dedicated Call-takers and a minimum of 9 dispatch consoles which are staffed at all times. They are the direct link between callers reporting an emergency and those responding to the scene.
Company History
The Bell County Communications Center (Center) opened its doors in 1999 as the first consolidated dispatch center in the United States able to dispatch all police, fire and EMS agencies in the county from one integrated dispatch center. Bell County covers over 1050 square miles, two major highways, borders Ft. Hood army base, and has a population of more than 347,000. Center answers approximately 200,000 calls annually while serving 61 separate law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies.
Benefits
Bell County currently offers full time employees with the following benefits:
Baylor Scott and White medical with two plan options: The Preferred Network and the HMO plan, coverages are the same for both plans but the HMO option has a larger network.
Two plans options for the dental coverage; one is the base plan and the other is a voluntary buy-up. Both options offer a vision reimbursement allowance of up to $150 annually.
Flexible spending and dependent care accounts are also available.
Each full-time employee will earn up to 120 hours (15 days or 5 hours per pay period) of sick leave in a calendar year. With supervisor approval, an employee can use up to 40 hours annually as discretionary days.
Vacation is accrued for new full-time employees on a pro-rated basis during the first year of employment depending on your start date and earned vacation can be used the following year. The first five years you can accrue up to 80 hours, and 120 hours after 5 years of employment.
Bell County publishes their adopted holiday schedule annually, and currently recognizes New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Holidays may be adjusted by the Court.
The County participates in the TCDRS retirement system and contributions by the employee are mandatory. Currently the contribution rate is 7% of your gross pay. Employees are fully vested at 8 years.
Benefits and/or policies are subject to change at the discretion of the court.