Company Profile

Company Overview

The creation of the Orleans Parish Communication District, OPCD, and the subsequent creation of E9 1 1 Districts around the State was the culmination of efforts by the public safety community to provide a single, easy to remember telephone number for citizens to request emergency services.

House Bill 856 was signed into law by Governor David Treen as Act 155 in August 1982. After four years of research, planning, and purchasing required call-taking equipment, the OPCD went “live” with E9-1-1 service to all residents of and visitors to Orleans Parish. E9-1-1 service was, and still is, a well-coordinated effort among the OPCD, New Orleans Police and Fire Departments, EMS, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Coordination (OCJC), and South Central Bell (now AT&T).

Act 155 provided that the governing authority of the OPCD would be a nine-member Board of Commissioners comprised of the following officials: Superintendents of the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments; Director of New Orleans Health Department; Director of the Office of Civil Defense (now Office of Emergency Preparedness, OEP); CEO of the Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans; Commander of Louisiana State Police Troop B; Commandant of the Louisiana Army National Guard; and two at-large members appointed by the Mayor. Since 1982, the Orleans Parish Medical Society and New Orleans EMS have been added to the Board of Commissioners, for a total of 11 Board members.

Since 1982, the OPCD Board of Commissioners has had six Board Chairs and four Vice-Chairs.