Jasper’s New Geocall System Boosts 911 Efficiency, Setting Statewide Example

The city of Jasper has launched a new geocall routing system aimed at improving how 911 calls are handled in Dubois County. Early results show significant gains in local emergency call management since the system went live in September 2025. According to Police Chief Chad Dick, who presented the update to the Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety on October 15, the new system uses geofencing technology that automatically routes 911 calls placed within city limits directly to the Jasper dispatch center.

This change reduces the need to transfer calls between agencies, shortens response times, and allows dispatchers to focus more effectively on their jurisdictions. Chief Dick reported that Jasper’s share of all countywide emergency calls has increased from roughly 25% to 36% since implementation.

In September alone, the department handled 64 more calls than in August. “Impact obviously is faster response times as they are answered directly by our 911 center,” Dick said. “There’s fewer handoffs going from dispatch center to dispatch center and improved efficiency because now each dispatch center is kind of focusing on their own jurisdictions.” The improvement means faster help for residents, schools, and businesses across the region, especially in rural areas where travel time can complicate emergency responses.

State 911 officials have also expressed interest in Jasper’s model, with Indiana’s 911 board leadership discussing the potential for expanding similar systems elsewhere in the state. Chief Dick commended his staff’s dedication despite being short-handed. “Our dispatchers continue to amaze me with their dedication and providing the services that they do while being short staffed,” he said. As Jasper and Dubois County continue to grow, the new system positions the area as a state leader in modern emergency response technology, proving that innovation doesn’t only happen in big cities.