9-1-1

In 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended that a single number be established for reporting emergencies. In 1968, the telephone industry agreed on the digits 9-1-1 as the universal emergency number. The Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) was created by the 70th Texas Legislature in 1987 to implement and administer 9-1-1 services throughout the state. At that time, certain 9-1-1 emergency communications districts (ECD) and 9-1-1 ECD Municipalities were providing 9-1-1 service within their boundaries. In order to provide 9-1-1 service to all citizens of Texas, the CSEC implemented service to the remainder of the state with a program administered through the twenty-four (24) regional planning commissions. Areas not being provided 9-1-1 service at that time by a district or the municipal government were provided 9-1-1 service through their applicable regional planning commission. In order to contact the 9-1-1 authority for a particular city or county in Texas, please refer to the map, locate the city or county in question, and determine the entity responsible for administering 9-1-1 service to the area. The contact information for these Texas 9-1-1 entities follows.

• Districts
• 9-1-1 ECD Municipalities
• Regional Planning Commissions

Regional planning commissions (RPCs), also known as councils of government (COGs), develop regional plans designed to provide for the operation of 9-1-1 services within the area they serve. Funding for the implementation of these plans is provided through emergency service fees, which are levied on local exchange telephone service and equalization surcharges levied on intrastate long-distance charges. The equalization surcharges are intended to provide financial support for regions where the emergency service fees do not fully offset the implementation and operational costs involved with 9-1-1 service.

Printable PDF Version of 9-1-1 Entities in Texas

Texas Map of 9-1-1 Entities in Texas

9-1-1 Fees and Surcharge Remittance

Funding of emergency communication services in Texas is authorized by Health and Safety Code (H&SC) Chapters 771 and 772. There are three funding sources--the Equalization Surcharge, the 9-1-1 Service Fee, and the Wireless 9-1-1 Service Fee which are collected from customers and remitted by their service providers.

All collections of the Equalization Surcharge and the Wireless 9-1-1 Service Fee are remitted on a monthly basis to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (the Comptroller). Collections of the 9-1-1 Service Fee are remitted based on customers physical, and in some cases billing, address. Collections from customers within the boundaries of a Regional Planning Commission (RPC) are remitted to the Comptroller; those within an Emergency Communication District created under Health & Safety Code Chapter 772 (District) are remitted to the District; and those within a 9-1-1 Municipality that provided, voted to provide, or contracted to provide 9-1-1 service on or before September 1, 1987 (Municipality) are remitted to the Municipality. Each RPC, District, and Municipality is commonly referred to as 9-1-1 Entity, and collectively referred to as the 9-1-1 Entities.

Pursuant to H&SC Section 771.074, neither the Equalization Surcharge nor the 9-1-1 Service Fee or 9-1-1 Wireless Service Fee may be imposed on or collected from the state or the federal government.

9-1-1 Service Agreements 

A 9-1-1 Service Agreement must be executed between certificated telecommunications utilities and interconnected VoIP service providers (service providers) and the applicable RPCs in CSEC's jurisdiction. 

Effective April 1, 2009, service providers must supply to the 9‑1‑1 selective router provider and database management service provider an executed Certificate of Authorization to Access the 9‑1‑1 Entity's Network and 9‑1‑1 Database before 9‑1‑1 trunks can be established to the 9‑1‑1 Entity’s wireline 9‑1‑1 network and records can be loaded in the 9-1-1 Entity’s database, pursuant to the provisions of the fixed ALI Agreement.  This mandatory provision will apply to all 9-1-1 interconnetion and database arrangements in CSEC’s jurisdiction.  

9-1-1 Database 

The 9-1-1 database includes information required to deliver a 9-1-1 call for assistance to the proper responding public safety answering point (PSAP) with the caller’s telephone number, also known as automatic number information (ANI), and the caller’s location, also known as automatic location information (ALI). The provider of database management services for the State’s 9-1-1 database is Intrado.  A Certificate of Authorization to Access the 9‑1‑1 Entity's Network and 9‑1‑1 Database must be provided to Intrado in order to access a 9-1-1 Entity’s database.  See 9-1-1 Service Agreements section above. 

Local Monitoring and Risk Assessment

As authorized by Health & Safety Code, Chapter 771, the CSEC has the responsibility of developing minimum performance standards for equipment and operation of 9-1-1 PSAPs. CSEC provides rules, policy statements, and guidelines or best practices for the RPCs to follow in developing and implementing their regional plans for providing 9-1-1 service. CSEC Rule 251.11, Monitoring Policies and Procedures, provides information on CSEC's monitoring of the RPC programs and the information necessary to assist RPCs in monitoring their interlocal agreements with local governments necessary to strengthen the 9-1-1 system.

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