About Us

Morgan County 911 provides efficient and effective emergency communications service to the people of Morgan County, Alabama and its municipalities.

Morgan County 911 answers all 911 calls originating in Morgan County and its municipalities. We dispatch all fire and ambulance resources, five police departments, and the county’s rescue squad. Morgan County 911 provides the technical services that support public safety, including addressing and mapping services, dispatch software, and the countywide radio system.

How 911 Was Born

The idea for 911 first came about in 1957 when the National Association of Fire Chiefs wanted to establish a nationwide number for people to use to report fires. Over the next decade, various associations, recommendations and congressional debates determined that a single number for reporting all emergencies made more sense than having a different number for each type of emergency. It would be too hard to remember in an instant and so would defeat the purpose. The system’s creators choose “9-1-1” for a few of reasons: It’s short; it’s easy to remember; and it was not yet assigned as an area code or any other telephone-related number.

Haleyville, Alabama set up the first 9-1-1 system in the country in 1968.
Julia Layton. “How 9-1-1 Works”. July 12, 2006 http://people.howstuffworks.com/9-1-1.htm (March 13, 2007)