Our Dispatch Center
Who we are:
The Yolo Emergency Communications Agency (YECA) is a Joint Powers Authority that was established in 1988. The agency was formed as a consolidated 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and to provide dispatch services for police, fire, animal control, public works and other local government agencies; and to house the County Office of Emergency Services.
YECA is governed and operated through an intergovernmental agreement between Yolo County and the Cities of West Sacramento, Woodland and Winters. The Agency is governed by a four member Board of Directors; each member represents a political jurisdiction within Yolo County, comprising the joint powers authority. Board members are appointed by their jurisdictions governing body.
YECA is the 9-1-1 PSAP for approximately eighty percent of Yolo County and in 2004 we became the first PSAP in northern California to answer wireless 9-1-1 calls directly from the public. In 2007 our dispatch center answered over 42,000 9-1-1 calls and just over 247,000 non-emergency phone calls for public safety assistance. YECA provides dispatch services for the County Sheriff, 3 municipal police departments and 17 fire agencies, including fire agencies in Sutter and Colusa County’s. In 2007 we dispatched over 175,000 calls for law enforcement and over 24,000 calls for fire/EMS services.
YECA’s current operating budget is approximately $4.9 million. The Agency has 46 authorized positions among three divisions: Administration, Operations and Support Services. Operations is the largest division with dispatchers staffing a 10-position center, each position equipped with call taking and radio dispatch capabilities. The agency utilizes both 800 MHz and VHF public safety radio systems to dispatch police and fire agencies. YECA currently uses Plant Equipment Inc.’s Vesta Pallas 9-1-1 phone system, Northrop Grumman’s Altaris Computer-Aided Dispatch system, VisionAIR’s Mobile Data/AVL system and GeoCom’s GeoLynx Mapping system.
In May of 2007 YECA’s Board of Directors approved a multi-year strategic plan for the Agency which includes radio system upgrades and migration to a new system; replacement of the CAD/Mobile/AVL systems and building a new communications facility. Combined project costs are estimated conservatively at $23 million over the next ten years.
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The Community:
Yolo County California, with a population of over 200,000, is a naturally beautiful and richly diverse county. It is one of the leading agricultural producers in the nation. The county’s 661,000 acres in Northern California are used primarily for farming and ranching. The Capay Valley is one of the leading areas in the nation for organic farming.
While agriculture is Yolo County’s primary industry, nearly 85% of the County’s population lives in the four cities of Woodland, West Sacramento, Davis and Winters. With a swiftly growing population, Yolo County is making the transition from a Central Valley agricultural county to one with a substantial suburban character. It is an increasingly diverse county with 23% of the population born outside the United States. One in five K-12 students is an English language learner.
An abundance of academic and cultural resources are located within the county. Among them is the University of California, Davis. Located on its 35,000 acre campus is the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, a world-class performance center and concert hall.
Recreational activities include whitewater rafting and kayaking along Cache Creek, bicycling on scenic country roads and premier bike paths, and fishing and water-skiing along the Sacramento River. West Sacramento has a AAA professional baseball team, the Sacramento Rivercats, and nearby Arco Arena is the home court for the Sacramento Kings NBA team and the Sacramento Monarchs WNBA team. The Capay Valley is also home to Cache Creek Casino Resort which offers top name entertainment and four diamond, four star accommodations in their luxury hotel and spa; and the recently opened Troon golf course Yocha-De-He provides a championship caliber golf experience on a visually stunning and challenging course.
The County seat in Woodland is located just 20 miles northwest of the City of Sacramento, the State Capital. Yolo County’s proximity to Sacramento International Airport as well as to two major interstate highways places it within a major transportation hub of the state. The County is within short driving distance of the San Francisco Bay area, the Napa, Sonoma, Russian River and Lodi wine regions, and the pristine mountains and ski resorts of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas.
Want more community information?
Check out the Yolo County Almanac
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