The Kossuth County 911 Joint Service Board oversees the operation and maintenance of the enhanced 911 emergency telephone communication system in Kossuth County, Iowa, the state’s largest county by area. Established under Iowa Code Chapter 34A and Iowa Administrative Code Section 605, Chapter 10, the board is a collaborative entity formed by political subdivisions within the county, including representatives from the County sheriff, the Board of Supervisors, and municipalities with public safety agencies. The board’s primary responsibility is to ensure the effective delivery of emergency services by managing the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which serves as the central hub for receiving and processing 911 calls. The board works in coordination with the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department to maintain compliance with state regulations and to enhance the county’s emergency response capabilities.

The Kossuth County PSAP, managed by the 911 Joint Service Board, provides critical emergency communication services, answering all 911 calls made within the county, whether from landlines or wireless devices. The PSAP is equipped with Enhanced 911 (E911) Phase II capabilities, which allow call takers to receive latitude and longitude coordinates for wireless calls, aiding in the rapid location of callers in emergencies. The center dispatches services for multiple agencies, including the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Department, Kossuth County EMS, Algona Police Department & all fire departments within the county. It operates 24/7 & is staffed by trained telecommunicators.

Beyond call answering and dispatching, the Kossuth County 911 Joint Service Board facilitates the integration of advanced technologies, such as the Next Generation 911 (NG911) network, which supports the transition from traditional wireline systems to internet protocol-based systems for improved reliability and data transmission.