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Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center

Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center answers emergency and non-emergency calls within Boulder city limits 24 hours per day, seven days a week. It is staffed by 25 dispatchers, 2 administrative specialists, 1 systems administrator, 4 supervisors, and a manager. All dispatchers are cross trained for 9-1-1 call taking, Emergency Medical Dispatching, and radio dispatching.

The following resources are dispatched from the center as needed: Police, Fire, EMS, Animal Protection, Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement and Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers.

The center is equipped with TDD capability for the hearing impaired and accepts text-2-9-1-1.

The center can also receive livestreaming video from community members.

Prepared 911 from City of Boulder on Vimeo.

Police Department and Fire Dispatch Center

Emergency Notification System

Boulder Police and Fire Communications utilizes an emergency notification system that allows residents of the City of Boulder to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell, home, and work phones, and by text messaging and/or email.

Sign up for Boulder - 9-1-1 Emergency Alerts
Boulder Office of Disaster Management

Emergency Telephone Charges (E911)

The Emergency Telephone Charges (E911) for BRETSA (Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Service Authority) is a surcharge imposed on each phone number or service user within the County of Boulder. Every telecommunication service supplier is required to collect and remit monthly the current surcharge rate of $0.75 per exchange access facility (wireline), per wireless communications access, and per interconnected voice-over-internet-protocol access (VOIP).

For all payments
Submit a ETC E911 Remittance Form

If paying by ACH (preferred method):

  • Routing number: 102001017
  • Account Number: 550753175

Email a copy of the completed form to accounting@bretsaps.org.

If paying by check by USPS:
Make check out to BRETSA or Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Service Authority
Remit Address is:
BRETSA
Attn: Collections Manager
P.O. Box 3726
Boulder, CO 80307-3726

Include a copy of the completed form with your payment.

Contact BRETSA
Call 720-564-2940 or email Accounting@bretsaps.org

Emergency Help: Call or Text 9-1-1

By phone

  • Please call 9-1-1 only if you are reporting an EMERGENCY

By text message

Boulder County has introduced text-to-9-1-1 services in all communities within the county. This service allows residents to text dispatch during an emergency. Text-to-9-1-1 is supported by all four 9-1-1 dispatch centers in the county which connect callers to public safety response agencies including police, fire, emergency medical services and other rescue teams.

Text-to-9-1-1 service is enabled on the four major cell phone carriers in our area: AT&T (Cricket), Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. If your carrier does not support 9-1-1 texting, or if you are in a location that cannot send/receive text messages, you will receive a bounce back message. Regular text message rates will apply with this service.

  1. When it is appropriate to text

    Using the text-to-9-1-1 service is recommended if you are in a situation where it is unsafe to make a voice call to 9-1-1. Some situations where this would be appropriate include:

    • A caller reporting an emergency is hard of hearing, deaf or speech-impaired
    • Voice connectivity is unavailable, but texts can be sent – this is true in some mountain areas
    • Situations when silence is of the utmost importance for your safety– instances of intrusion, abuse or other dangerous situations in which making a phone call would escalate the emergency
  2. Keep it simple

    If you need to send a text, it should be simple, brief and concise and should not use abbreviations or emojis.

    Photos or videos cannot be sent via text-to-9-1-1. You will receive a ‘bounce back’ text saying “Please make a voice call to 9-1-1. There is no MMS or Text service to 9-1-1 available at this time” if you try to send a picture or video.

  3. Include your location

    Unlike with phone calls, dispatchers will not automatically receive location information. For this reason, if it is necessary to send a text message it is important to include an accurate location or address in the message as quickly as possible.

9-1-1 Tips and Guidelines

Have you ever wondered whether to call 9-1-1? Since 9-1-1 is for emergencies only, it helps to understand when to call and when not to call. An emergency is any serious situation where a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical help is needed right away. If you are unsure of whether your situation is an emergency, go ahead and call 9-1-1. The 9-1-1 dispatcher can determine if you need emergency assistance and can route you to the correct location.

Dispatchers are trained to get the most important information as quickly as possible to get help on the way to an emergency situation. In an emergency situation, allow the dispatcher to ask you all the questions they need in order to get help there in the timeliest manner before you hang up or leave the phone. If you happen to call by accident, stay on the line until you can tell the dispatcher that you called by accident and there is no emergency. This saves the dispatcher from having to call you back and confirm there is no emergency or possibly sending police to check your address for an emergency.

Staying calm can be one of the most difficult, yet most important, things you do when calling 9-1-1. It is very important that you stay as calm as possible and answer all the questions the 9-1-1 dispatcher asks. The questions 9-1-1 dispatcher ask, no matter how relevant they seem, are important in helping get the first responders to you as fast as possible.

Listen and answer the questions asked. By doing this, it helps the dispatcher understand your situation and will assist you with your emergency until the appropriate police, fire or medical units arrive.

The 9-1-1 center that answers your call may not be the 9-1-1 center that services the area you are calling from. Look for landmarks, cross street signs and buildings. Know the name of the city or county you are in. Knowing the location is vital to getting the appropriate police, fire, or EMS units to respond. Providing an accurate address is critically important when making a wireless 9-1-1 call.

Be sure your children know what 9-1-1 is, how to dial from your home and cell phone, and to trust the 9-1-1 dispatcher. Make sure your child is physically able to reach at least one phone in your home. When calling 9-1-1 your child needs to know their name, parent’s name, telephone number, and most importantly their address. Tell them to answer all the dispatcher’s questions and to stay on the phone until instructed to hang up.

Sign up for Smart911

Sign up

Smart911 is a service that allows residents to create a free Safety Profile for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency.

  1. On Smart911.com

    Sign up on the website:

  2. On a smartphone

    Download the app to your phone:

Create a safety profile for your household

Give 9-1-1 valuable information about yourself, family members, your home, pets and even vehicles that will display automatically on the 9-1-1 dispatcher’s screen only when you make an emergency call. It’s private and secure and you control what information is in your profile. These details can save seconds or even minutes during an emergency.

Types of safety profile information:

  • People and Household Information. You can add key information about members of your household that would help anyone you care for in the event of an emergency, whether the call is from the home or any mobile phone.
  • Medical Information. No matter where you or your loved ones are, you can always have peace of mind that responders will know any critical medical condition and how to help before they even arrive
  • Address and Location Info. Giving responders visual details on an emergency location helps facilitate faster response, as does information on access points like hidden driveways or gate codes.
  • Other Info. You can also add as much or as little information about your vehicles, pets, service animals, along with any specific notes that you would want responders to know.

Non-Emergency Help

By phone

Call the dispatch center's non-emergency line for help with incidents like barking dogs, noise complaints, parking complaints, and crimes that are not life threatening. Listen carefully to the menu and choose the correct option for your incident or situation.

  • Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center: 303-441-3333

Online

Using the online system allows you to submit a report immediately and print a copy for free.

In-person

Reports can be filed in-person in the lobby of the Public Safety Building, weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.:

  • 1805 33rd St, Boulder CO 80301

Online Programs and Services

Many non-emergency incidents with no suspect information can be reported online, like barking dogs, noise complaints, parking complaints, bicycle thefts and crimes that are not life threatening.