Fayetteville, Cumberland County reach agreement on joint 911 center hours before state deadline

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Just hours before a state-imposed deadline that could have forced local action, the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County reached an agreement on a long-debated plan to consolidate their 911 call centers.

Read more Strong El Niño prompts another cut to 2026 Atlantic hurricane forecast

On Wednesday morning, the Fayetteville City Council and Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an identical joint resolution establishing a framework for a unified Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), ending years of disagreement over who would oversee the combined emergency communications center.

The vote came nearly 12 hours before a deadline set by North Carolina State Sen. Tom McInnis, who had warned he would pursue legislation forcing the consolidation if local leaders failed to reach an agreement. The proposed legislation would have placed Cumberland County in charge of the unified center.  

For nearly two decades, city and county leaders have agreed that consolidating the two separate 911 centers would improve emergency communications and better serve residents. But repeated efforts stalled over one key question: which government would lead the operation.  

The following was approved under the agreement Wednesday:

• Cumberland County will initially serve as the administrative agency responsible for financial and administrative functions.
• A Joint Governance Board, with representatives from the city, county, Cape Fear Valley Health System and one of Cumberland County’s municipalities, will provide policy oversight and accountability.
• An Operations Committee made up solely of emergency communications and public safety professionals — with no elected officials — will oversee operational recommendations.
• An independent third-party implementation consultant will help guide the consolidation process.

The resolution also directs both governments to negotiate a formal interlocal agreement within the next 60 days. That agreement will outline governance, administrative responsibilities, funding, implementation and other operational details before work begins on the unified center.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said the agreement protects the city’s longtime priorities while creating an equal partnership between both governments.

“The things that were important for us, we didn’t say we wanted to be (the) lead for the sake of being the lead,” Colvin said. “We wanted to reserve our personnel. We wanted to make sure our assets are protected that citizens have paid for over the years. We wanted to make sure the highest and the best accreditation standards are in place.”

Colvin said someone ultimately had to handle payroll and administrative duties, but emphasized that governance decisions will be shared equally.

“The governance of it, the city is there at the table as an equal partner to make equal decisions. That’s what we fought for.”

Read more Marta Kostyuk beats Jasmine Paolini to set up Wimbledon semifinal against Linda Noskova

The mayor said many details still need to be finalized.

Within the next two months, both governments plan to complete the interlocal agreement and hire the third-party implementation consultant. Officials expect the transition to a fully operational joint 911 center will take between 24 and 36 months.

Colvin also said the City of Fayetteville will continue plans to construct a new state-of-the-art emergency communications facility capable of housing both city and county operations, while Cumberland County’s Emergency Services Center on Executive Place — which opened in 2022 — will continue serving as a backup facility.  

In a joint statement released after Wednesday’s vote, Mayor Colvin and Cumberland County Commission Chairman Kirk deViere called the agreement a major step forward for public safety.

“Public safety doesn’t stop at a jurisdictional line, and neither should our commitment to it,” the statement said. “A joint governance model for our consolidated 911 center means the City and County are building this system together, sharing responsibility, expertise and accountability. This is what real partnership looks like.”

The joint statement added: “Every emergency begins with the same call to 911. Every resident deserves an emergency communications system built on professionalism, trust and accountability.”

The agreement follows weeks of negotiations after state lawmakers intervened in the dispute. Earlier this summer, McInnis agreed to extend his original deadline after local leaders requested more time to negotiate a compromise. The extension gave the city and county until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to reach an agreement before lawmakers considered reviving legislation that would mandate consolidation.  

CBS 17 will continue following the development of the joint 911 communications center and the negotiations surrounding the upcoming interlocal agreement.

Read more World Cup quarterfinals: It’s Messi, Morocco, and 6 teams from Europe. And that’s not unusual