The Braxton Democrat

County 9-1-1 call volume drops slightly in 2021

At last Friday’s Braxton County Commission meeting OES/9-1-1 Director John Hoffman presented a report that detailed the number of times individuals called the emergency communications center during the calendar year of 2021. Those numbers reflect a slight decrease in the total number of calls received. Hoffman stated the decline was a reflection of decreased activity due to the COVID pandemic and an 8.5% decrease in the county’s population that was reflected in the latest census.
Braxton Control handled a staggering total of 29,779 during 2021. That equates to an average of 81.5 calls during every 24 hours period.
Of that call volume, 8,707 were 9-1-1 type calls. A break down of those calls reveal 2,791 pertained to the various law enforcement agencies in the county. The seven fire departments in the county received 1,298 calls during the period. Two thousand ninety-four of those calls were relayed to the Emergency Ambulance Service. The Office of Emergency Services handled 9 calls.
Though the total number of calls may be down slightly that doesn’t translate into less work for the two-person teams of dispatchers that work around the clock. In time of major or multiple emergencies it is not uncommon for the communications center to receive hundreds of calls in a single hour.