History

In early 2002, elected officials and representatives from public safety organizations in Chelan and Douglas counties held a series of meetings to explore the feasibility of consolidating the area's four 911 centers into one organization.

After considerable discussion, the group determined that there would be three primary benefits to consolidation:

• The processing and dispatching of emergency calls for assistance from the public would be more efficient and timely.
  
  
• The coordination of responses when more than one public safety agency was involved in an incident would be significantly improved.
  
  
• Taxpayer funds for facilities, technical systems and personnel costs would be used more effectively.

Four jurisdictions; Chelan County, Douglas County, East Wenatchee and Wenatchee, each contributed funds to move the project forward and to hire a consulting company to estimate costs, examine technical system needs and to assist with forming the organization.

In late 2002, under the authority granted under Title 39 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), the four jurisdictions noted above created RiverCom as an independent municipal corporation.

In July 2004 RiverCom 911 became fully operational.