Central Dispatch (911)

Located in the City of Ionia, Central Dispatch is a consolidated public safety answering point (PSAP), responsible for handling all 9-1-1 calls and all nonemergent Fire, Police and EMS calls in Ionia County.

If you have an emergency, call 911 immediately

Ionia County Central Dispatch Staff

Lance Langdon, ENP, ICCD Director
Lance joined ICCD in August of 2021, having served since 1986 in public safety.
llangdon@ioniacounty.org
616-527-5611

Kevin Booth, ICCD Supervisor
Kevin started as a dispatcher in 2003 and was promoted to Supervisor in 2016.
kbooth@ioniacounty.org
616-527-5613

Natalie Hearld, ICCD Supervisor
Natalie joined ICCD as a dispatcher in 2013 and was promoted to Supervisor in 2022.
nhearld@ioniacounty.org
616-527-5612

Jeremiah Wittenbach, ICCD Supervisor
Jeremiah joined ICCD as a dispatcher in 2015 and was promoted to Supervisor in 2023.
jwittenbach@ioniacounty.org
616-527-5617

Cathi Brodbeck, Office Manager
Cathi joined Ionia County in 2016, moving to ICCD as our Office Manager in 2019.
cbrodbeck@ioniacounty.org
616-522-0911

The Ionia County Home Town Heroes

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Agencies We Serve

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Central Dispatch Advisory Board

9-1-1 Advisory Board Meetings are scheduled at the 911 Center the first Wednesday of each month. If there are no items for the board to take action on, the meetings will be canceled.

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Annual Reports

Dispatch Operational Reports

• 2021

Dispatch Year End Reports

• 2021

Dispatch Mid-Year Reports

• 2022

Monthly Statistics Newsletters

2022

• October
• November
• September
• August
• July
• June
• May
• April
• March
• February
• January

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Calling 9-1-1

Frequently Asked Questions

• When should I call 911?
  You should call 911 when:

  • You are a witness or victim of a crime in progress or one that has just occurred.
  • If you witness or are involved in an injury auto accident.
  • If you experience or see someone having a medical emergency.
  • If you see fire or smoke.

  Whenever you witness or are involved in a potentially dangerous situation. If you’re ever in doubt that something happening is an actual emergency and you’re not sure if you should call 911, don’t hesitate to call 911. We can help you determine if a response is needed.

• What is “enhanced” or E911?
  Enhanced or E911 means that our Center has a link to the phone company that provides both the address and the phone number for the calling party, if you are calling from a landline phone.
• When should I call the non-emergency number?
  Do not call 9-1-1 if a person or property is not in immediate danger. You may call the non- emergency number if you need to report something that occurred earlier that day, days before, or even weeks before. You can also call the non-emergency number if you need a report for insurance purposes. The Ionia County Central Dispatch non-emergency phone number is 616-527-0400.
• If you have my address and phone number why do you ask me for it?
  Technology is wonderful, but it is not infallible. It can make mistakes, so we ask questions to make sure we have the correct address information. Also, sometimes people call for help from a neighbor’s house and we do not want to send help to the wrong address.
• Why do you ask so many questions when I call 911?
  It may seem like we are wasting time, but we follow a proven set of important questions designed to provide emergency responders with the information they need to prepare to respond to your call. The more information we have the more quickly and efficiently we can help you. In an emergency we will start emergency responders on their way while we continue asking you questions.
• Why do I have to stay on the phone?
  We keep you on the phone so you can assist us by telling us what is happening or if there has been a change in the situation or the location of the incident. Sometimes we keep you on the phone so that we can give you instructions on how to help the victim until help arrives. Staying on the phone with us does not delay the response of police, fire, or EMS units.
• What happens when I call 911 from my cell phone?
  If you dial 911 from your cell phone in Ionia County your call should ring in to our Center. If you are in any other county, it will go to the closest 911 Center based on the receiving cell phone tower location. Cell phones do not provide the same type of information to the dispatchers that landline phones do. Depending on the technology used by your cell provider and the age of your phone we may have an approximate location for you based on the latitude and longitude provided by the phone, but we may only have the address of the cell tower that received your call. This is why you must stay on the line and be prepared to give the dispatcher your location. If you call from the edges of Ionia County and are connected with one of our neighboring Centers, they will transfer you to the correct jurisdiction.
• Should I program 911 into my phone’s speed dial?
  No. Putting 9-1-1 in your speed dial can result in needless accidental calls to 9-1-1.
• What happens if I call 911 accidentally?
  Please stay on the phone until the dispatcher answers and then explain what happened. If you hang up without talking to the dispatcher, they will try to call you back to verify that you do not have an emergency. If you cannot be reached a police officer will be dispatched to your home or business to confirm that everything is fine.
• Can I test 911?
  No. Please do not dial 911 and tell us that you are testing the system. If you do this, you may be taking valuable time away from someone else who has an actual emergency and needs immediate assistance.
• Can I send a text message to 911?
  Yes. You can use a cell phone to send a text message to 911. This means if you are unable to make a voice 911 call, you can use your cell phone to text your emergency to 911. However, if you are safely able to make a voice call to 911, you should always do that instead of texting. Please see our Text to 911 page for more information.
• Can I still call 911 if I have a VoIP phone?
  If you have Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service through a provider like Comcast, Vonage, or Magic Jack you may not be able to access 911 in the traditional way. VoIP calls may not connect to your local 911 Center; they may instead route to a central answering point (possibly out of state) not staffed by trained 911 dispatchers. The calls may be routed to non-emergency administrative lines that will not display your phone number or location information. The calls may also be correctly routed to a 911 line and still not display the phone number and location information. Your VoIP phone may not work during a power outage or if the internet is down. If you travel to another city or state, you must call your VoIP provider and update your location information in order for your 911 calls to be properly routed.
• 
  Should I call 911 to report my power is out?
  
  No. Please contact your power company directly. Check our important resources page for a link to them.
• The police or fire department was just at my neighbor’s house, can I call 911 to find out what happened?
  No. This will tie up a 911 operator and possibly delay a response to someone else’s emergency. 911 staff are not allowed to provide you with this information.
• What should I tell my child about calling 911?
  
  Teach your children how to call 911. Make sure they know their address, phone number, name, and the names of their parents. Teach them to stay on the phone and answer all of the dispatcher’s questions until they are told by the dispatcher to hang up. Visit http://911forkids.com/ for helpful information on teaching your child about 911.
• Tornado sirens are going off, can I call 911 to get an update on the tornado?
  
  No. Do not call 911 if you hear tornado sirens. If the sirens are going off it means a tornado or a severe thunderstorm with 70 mph or greater winds has been sighted. Take cover and turn on your TV or radio to stay informed.

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Text to 9-1-1 Information

In Ionia County you can to use a cell phone to send a text message to 911. This means if you are unable to make a voice 911 call, you can use your cell phone to text your emergency to 911. However, if you are safely able to make a voice call to 911, you should always do that instead of texting.

Remember: Do Not Text and Drive!

Important Info for the Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of Hearing and Speech Disabled

Check these videos for information

• How to Text 911: General Information
• How to Text 911
• Important Facts

Text to 9-1-1

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Text-to-911, and why would I want to use it?
  It is the ability to send a “short message” (SMS) to 911. Texting during an emergency could be helpful if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, or if a voice call to 911 might otherwise be dangerous or impossible. If you are able to make a voice call to 911, and if it is safe to do so, you should always make a voice call to 911.If you attempt to send a text to 911 where Text-to-911 service is unavailable, you will receive a “bounceback” message that Text-to-911 is not available and that you should contact emergency services by another means I am able to text-to-911, will the 911 Center automatically know my location? When you text 911 from a wireless phone, the dispatcher may not know your approximate location or phone number. For this reason, if you send a text message to 911, it is important to give the 911 dispatcher an accurate address or location as quickly as possible.
• Why is a voice call to 911 preferred over texting?
  
  You should use the texting option only when calling 911 is not an option. Using a phone to call 911 is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help. Texting is not always instantaneous, which is critical during a life-threatening emergency. Voice calls allow the 911 dispatcher to more quickly ask questions and obtain information from the caller. Two-way communication by text takes more time and is subject to limits on the length of text messages. When you make a voice call to 911, the dispatcher will typically receive your phone number and the approximate location of your phone automatically. When calling or texting-to-911, be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 911 dispatcher.
• How do I text 911 in an emergency?
  
  Enter the numbers “911” in the “To” field (dashes are not needed). The first text message should be brief and contain the location of the emergency, including the city, township or village, and the type of help needed. Push the “send” button. Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 911 dispatcher. Text in simple words. Do not use abbreviations. Keep text messages brief and concise.
• What should I include in my text?
  
  Providing location information and nature of the emergency in the first text message is imperative. Text abbreviations or slang should never be used so that the intent of the dialogue can be as clear as possible.
• How much information can I put in the text?
  
  The texting function should only be used for
  emergency situations that require an immediate response from police, fire, or emergency medical services. Non-emergency issues should still be communicated to the Ionia County Dispatch Center through its non-emergency line at 616-527-0400.
• Can all cell phones text 911?
  
  You must subscribe to your wireless carrier’s text or data plan in order to make or receive text messages.
• Why use Text-to-911?
  
  Text-to-911 is intended primarily for use in three emergency scenarios:
  -An individual who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, or has a speech disability.
  -Someone who is in a situation where it is not safe to place a voice call to 911.
  -A medical emergency that renders the person incapable of speech
• Can I send a photo or video to 911?
  No, pictures or videos cannot be received by 911 at this time.
• Can I text a family member and 911 in a group text so that I let both know of an emergency at the same time?
  No, if you include anyone else on your text to 911, it may not be received by 911.
• What carriers can text 911?
  Ionia County will accept Text-to-911 messages from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon.

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Important Information/Resources for Residents

Burn Permits

Please contact your local Fire Department to obtain a burn permit.
In an effort to serve the residents of our county for efficiency, we have the Smart911 program. Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 response teams to have in the event of an emergency.
When a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right response team to the right location with the right information. Responders can be aware of many details they would not have known previously, and now fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the location of bedrooms, EMS can be advised of allergies or specific medical conditions and police can have the photo of a missing child in seconds rather than minutes or hours.

Community Resources

Click on the images below to learn more about these external resources.

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Freedom of Information Requests

Central Dispatch CAN NOT provide police incident reports or accident reports. You must contact the Police Agency that took the report to request a copy from them directly. We have no access to these reports.

What the Ionia County Central dispatch can provide:

1. Dispatch CAD Report (Computer Aided Dispatch) This will contain information noted by the Telecommunicators, as to the details reported by callers and information from the first responders about a call for service (CFS). CAD Reports are unavailable prior to February 26, 2021.
2. Audio Recordings from telephone lines and public safety radio talkgroups
3. Statistical data of center operations

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulates and sets requirements for the disclosure of public records by public bodies within the state of Michigan. A public record is a writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body in the
performance of an official function, from the time it is created. In general, all records except those cited as exceptions are covered by FOIA.

The Ionia County Board of Commissioners has adopted FOIA Procedures and Guidelines to direct how FOIA Requests are handled at the County. Also provided for the public is a FOIA Public Summary of Procedures and Guidelines, which is a shorter, summarized version of the complete
Procedures and Guidelines document.

Submitting a FOIA Request

FOIA requests may be submitted by mail, email or hand delivery. To assist you with your request, and to ensure an efficient response time, please use this FOIA Request for Information Form.

For additional information on FOIA appeals, fees or other information, please visit our FOIA page

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