Emergency Communications Center Menu

Departmental Structure, Governance and Leadership

Organizational Structure

Pursuant to Cincinnati Administrative Code, Article II, Section 23, there is established within the Office of the City Manager an Emergency Communications Center to be administered by a director who shall direct, control, and supervise all officers and employees within the Emergency Communications Center.

The ECC Director reports to the City Manager. The Director oversees all operations of the center, implementation of procedures in support of established policies, short- and long-term planning, and budget development. The Deputy Director oversees operational functions within the ECC, including teletype, call-taking and police dispatching. The Deputy Director assumes responsibility for the center in the absence of the Director. The overall staff of the ECC are divided into four functional sections:

  • Operations: The Operations Section performs the teletype, call-taking and police dispatching functions; this is the main work of the ECC, and contains the bulk of our staff. 
  • Training / Quality Assurance: The Training and Quality Assurance Section is responsible for all new-hire training, continuing education, quality assurance, and public education.
  • Technology: The Technology Section is responsible for the support and maintenance of all ECC technology and systems, including the radio system, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and the 9-1-1 telephone system. The Manager and staff of the Technology Section are employees of the centralized Department of Enterprise Technology Solutions but are embedded in and function as a part of the staff of the ECC.
  • Administration: The Administrative Section is responsible for administrative functions that support the ECC, including accreditation, compliance, policy management, budgeting, purchasing, payroll, personnel management and record keeping.

Department Leadership

Bill Vedra III
ECC Director

Director VedraDirector Vedra joined the ECC Leadership Team in June of 2018. He has worked in various public safety roles over since 2003, with a focus on emergency communications technology and operational management. His public safety career began as an Emergency Dispatcher, while he also worked as a Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. He came to the City of Cincinnati from a nearby Sheriff's Office, where he served as a Deputy Sheriff, administered a county-wide public safety radio system and assisted in the deployment of a NG9-1-1 system across eight dispatch centers. Director Vedra is a certified Emergency Number Professional (ENP) through the National Emergency Number Association.

Karli Piper
ECC Deputy Director

Deputy Director PiperDeputy Director Piper joined the ECC Leadership Team in November of 2018. She has over 13 years of experience working in emergency communications in multiple roles, with a strong concentration in new hire training, quality assurance, and public education. She was previously a WI Technical College Board Certified Adjunct Instructor and instructed college level public safety courses related to emergency communications. Additionally, she holds professional certifications as a Communications Training Officer, Emergency Medical Dispatch Quality Assurance Evaluator, and Communications Center Manager. 

Governance and Agency Liaisons

The ECC is not only a service provider to the public, but also to the city's first responders. The City Manager has established an Emergency Communications Center Governance Committee to ensure that the ECC’s service delivery meets the needs of the public and the Police and Fire departments. Through monthly meetings, executive officers of the ECC, Police, and Fire discuss and resolve issues of mutual concern. The committee includes the following:

  • City Manager's Office
  • Chief Technology Officer
  • Chief Performance Officer
  • ECC Director
  • Fire Chief
  • Police Chief

The Cincinnati Police Department has designated a Police Captain as the ECC’s Police Liaison. The Deputy Director works regularly with the Police Liaison to resolve routine operational issues between the two departments, and to ensure policies and procedures are in alignment. One or more Police Sergeants report to the Captain and are assigned to provide day-to-day operational police guidance at the ECC.