public safety services in massachusetts

public safety services in massachusetts

lets consider the work flow from 911 call to service delivery

Massachusetts has 351 citys and towns - 99% have their own fire
department - maybe 95% have their own police department - maybe 80%
have their own ambulances

the statewide E911 phone systems feeds calls to 212 PSAPs

[ As of 2026, Massachusetts has 440 law enforcement agencies under the
jurisdiction of the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
Commission. This total encompasses various types of departments across
the state. municipal police and colleges mostly ]

in eastern massachusetts - most communitys run their own PSAP. there
are countywide dispatch centers for Berkshire County + Franklin County
+ Hampshire County + Dukes County - they serve between 50% and 100% of
their respective counties.

Regional ambulances serve several areas in western Massachusetts -
regional ambulances in eastern Massachusetts are typically operated by
private ambulance services working on 911 contracts.

The radio systems mirror these dispatch arrangements. Countywide
dispatch centers use countywide radio channels - local dispatch
centers use local radio channels. Typically, every local police and
fire department has their own radio channels. Fire ambulances operate
on fire radio channels. Private ambulances operate on private radio
channels - and typically on fire radio channels if responding to 911
calls.

There are several police and fire mutual aid radio networks that cover
various areas.The CMED system uses 463 mhz channels for ambulance to
hospital communications in eastern Mass and the Springfield area -
even though cellphones have replaced most of those channels.

Medevac helos use their own dispatch channels and their own dispatch centers.

State Police cover the interstate highways and use the state 800 mhz
trs. In western Mass MSP also patrols small towns. Dispatch is
provided by the barracks and regional HQs.

US Coast Guard operates on 157 mhz and 163 mhz channels.They have
their own dispatch centers.

Federal law enforcement agencies use federal radio channels and cellphones.

Military bases have their own radio channels and dispatch centers.

Railroad police use 160 mhz - MBTA Police use UHF. Clleges have their
own armed police on UHF channels with their own 24/7 dispatch centers.