Fayetteville approves roadmap for joint 911 center as pressure mounts from state lawmakers

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Fayetteville city leaders have approved a proposal they hope will keep control of a long-debated 911 consolidation effort in local hands.

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During a special meeting Thursday, the Fayetteville City Council adopted a resolution outlining a framework for merging the city’s emergency communications center with Cumberland County’s 911 operations. The resolution was immediately sent to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for consideration.

The vote comes as state lawmakers increase pressure on local leaders to resolve a dispute that has lingered for years. Currently, the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County operate separate 911 call centers. Both sides agree that a single, consolidated center would improve coordination and reduce inefficiencies, but disagreements over governance and oversight have stalled progress.

The issue has been the subject of multiple studies, discussions, and negotiations over several years. According to city leaders, the council’s resolution establishes a path forward that both the city and county can use to begin consolidation efforts.

The proposal calls for:

• Hiring a neutral third-party consultant within 15 days to guide the consolidation process.
• Developing a memorandum of understanding between the city and county outlining operational details.
• Creating a timeline that would lead to a fully operational joint 911 center within 18 to 24 months.
• Protecting current 911 dispatchers and ensuring they retain employment during the transition.
• Following recommendations made by the independent consultant regarding integration of the two centers.

Mayor Mitch Colvin said the city worked quickly to meet a deadline set by state lawmakers and hopes local leaders will now be allowed to finish the job.

“Hopefully that will go up to Raleigh and the delegation,” Colvin said. “We’re asking them to pause and allow us on a local level to execute what we’ve agreed to.”

Colvin said the proposed consolidation affects every municipality in Cumberland County and should include input from cities and towns across the county before final decisions are made.

State lawmakers threaten intervention. The city’s action comes after growing frustration from county leaders, who argued the consolidation process has moved too slowly.

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That frustration reached the General Assembly, where Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill on the floor of the North Carolina House. The legislation would require Fayetteville and Cumberland County to consolidate their 911 operations within 12 months and place Cumberland County in charge of the joint center.

City leaders have said they were caught off guard by the proposal and believe local governments should retain authority over how the consolidation is structured. The outcome of the consolidation effort could also impact Fayetteville’s Office of Community Safety.

The department is preparing to launch a co-responder program that would pair mental health professionals with first responders and place behavioral health specialists within emergency communications operations to assist with mental health-related calls. Office of Community Safety Director John Jones said the city is prepared to move forward but wants to ensure the consolidation process does not slow down those efforts.

“We are more prepared than we’ve ever been,” Jones said.

During Thursday’s meeting, Fayetteville Fire Chief Kevin Dove urged both sides to focus on public safety rather than politics.

“The egos got to go,” Dove said. “People got to get it figured out.”

The resolution now heads to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Commissioners will hold an emergency meeting Friday at 9 a.m., followed by another meeting Monday at 9 a.m. to discuss the proposal.

Those meetings could determine whether city and county leaders reach a local agreement on consolidation — or whether state lawmakers move forward with legislation that would mandate the merger. The outcome will shape how emergency calls are handled for residents across Fayetteville and Cumberland County for years to come.

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