The Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) answers and dispatches for all of Multnomah County.  

BOEC maintains the drive to meet and exceed national performance standards. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) sets the standard for public safety answering points (PSAPs).  The standard states, “90% of all 911 calls shall be answered within fifteen seconds.  95% of all 911 calls should be answered within 20 seconds.”

Compared to primary public safety answering points (PSAPs), which serve a similar population (such as Seattle, Kansas City, and Sacramento Police), BOEC processes a very high call volume.  

To answer calls more quickly, BOEC makes procedural adjustments based on analyzing call answering and processing statistics. A highly customized Operations Staff Scheduling and Performance Analysis System aids in efficient staffing and identifying staffing gaps.

9-1-1 is a barometer of the condition of a community. This metric tells us that our community has faced a number of challenges in recent years and we at BOEC experience that firsthand. 

One caveat to consider with this metric is human behavior. When an emergency such as a traffic crash occurs, the 9-1-1 center receives multiple calls. For that reason, we may have an increase in the number of seconds callers are waiting in the 9-1-1 queue. This may be one of the reasons we have multiple number of caller-disconnected calls. Caller-disconnected calls are tracked and called back by an automated callback system or by a call taker. However, a caller may choose to disconnect and call the 9-1-1 line back, which also increases the call volume. 

BOEC uses Language Link for 911 and non-emergency, over-the-phone interpretation services. Language Link is available 24/7, connects within seconds, and provides a state-of-the-art call center with high-quality interpreters. They offer interpreters for more than 240 languages and dialects.  

If you or someone you know does not speak English, they can dial 9-1-1 (or the non-emergency line) and say the language they speak. If they are able to say in English the type of help they need (Police, Fire, Medical, Portland Street Response) and the address, the call taker can start emergency responders while the conference call with the interpreter connects. 

The total is the sum of all inbound Emergency line telephone calls. 

Visit the public-facing BOEC director’s report page here: BOEC Director's Report | Portland.gov

You can find BOEC’s Strategic plan here: https://www.portland.gov/911/2024-strategic-plan

You can learn more about when to call 9-1-1 here: https://www.portland.gov/911/when-call-9-1-1