Catoosa opens $22M public safety complex with local 911 dispatch

A major upgrade to public safety services is now live in the City of Catoosa. The city has opened a new $22 million public safety complex, which includes a $6 million 911 communications center.

For the first time in nearly three decades, emergency and non-emergency calls will be handled directly within city limits instead of being routed through Tulsa County. City officials say the change will help eliminate delays and improve emergency response.

A Shift Nearly 30 Years in the Making

For 28 years, Catoosa relied on dispatchers at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office to handle its emergency and non-emergency calls. Those calls were then routed to local police, fire, and EMS—adding critical seconds during emergencies.

Now, with its own dispatch center up and running, Catoosa is bringing that responsibility home.

State-of-the-Art Dispatch Center Opens

The new dispatch center officially went online at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The $6 million facility is part of a broader $22 million public safety complex, and will be staffed around the clock with at least two trained dispatchers per shift. The addition of nine new positions will help cover the 24/7 operation.

Fire Chief Denus Benton said the center is equipped with cutting-edge technology tailored to the city’s specific needs.

“Right now we’ve got the latest, greatest system… that harnesses all that information when somebody calls 911,” Benton said.

Why Local Dispatching Matters

Officials say the new system will drastically reduce misrouted calls and allow responders to act faster. Previously, dispatchers outside the area sometimes struggled with overlapping jurisdictions in Tulsa, Rogers, and Wagoner counties.

“Those calls would go to the wrong dispatch quite often,” said Benton. “Hopefully we are going to streamline that and minimize it with people there that are trained for our area.”

What Residents Need to Know

1. Emergency calls (fire and police) are now dispatched directly from Catoosa.
2. Medical emergencies will still be routed through Rogers County and Pafford EMS.
3. Non-emergency calls will no longer go through Tulsa County. The city has introduced new local numbers for non-emergency police and fire services.
4. Police non-emergency: (918) 739-4001
5. Fire non-emergency: (918) 266-4611

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