Paso Robles’ emergency dispatch center is poised for its first major renovation in more than a decade as the city considers an approximately $767,000 project aimed at expanding dispatch capacity and modernizing the technology behind the city’s emergency response system.
“The communication center is a critical component of the city’s first responders’ ability to effectively communicate during incidents affecting the life, health, and safety of the public,” Deputy Police Chief Caleb Davis wrote in a July 21 report to the City Council.
The Public Safety Answering Point, located inside the Public Safety Center, answers approximately 80,000 incoming calls each year across three 911 lines and eight non-emergency business lines while coordinating radio communications for police, fire, public works, and other emergency responders.
The existing dispatch center has not received a significant technology or facility upgrade in 13 years. It currently operates with three dispatch consoles, two of which are staffed around the clock.
“As the city continues to grow, and public safety demands increase, additional dispatch capacity is necessary to ensure efficient call processing, reduce wait times, and maintain operational resiliency during major incidents, natural disasters, and large-scale events,” Davis wrote.
The project would expand the communications center to four dispatch consoles while replacing aging equipment with a new 911 system that includes improved voice recording, transcription, and translation services.
The upgrade also includes Motorola’s Hyper non-emergency call agent, an artificial intelligence-assisted system designed to answer routine non-emergency calls and provide information to callers.
According to the staff report, the technology is intended to “reduce dispatcher workload, allowing communications personnel to focus on emergency response and higher-priority public safety activities.”
City staff noted that the first year of the AI-assisted service will be provided at no cost and includes an early termination clause if it fails to meet expectations. Officials said they will return to the council with an evaluation before requesting any long-term funding.
The project carries a total cost of $767,531, including $452,000 in California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services grant funding and local Measure J-20 revenues. The city’s final share is expected to total $315,531 from Measure J-20 budget savings.
This article appears in July 30- August 6, 2026.
