The Caddo Parish Communications District Number One was established on September 25, 1985 through Parish Ordinance 2291. The District was created to establish a uniform emergency telephone notification system, using the primary emergency telephone number “9-1-1”, to shorten the time required for a citizen to request and receive emergency aid. This ordinance, and subsequent amendments, allowed for the formation of an appointed, seven-member, citizen Board of Commissioners to establish policies and to provide oversight of the staff and technology supporting this new concept.

On April 5, 1986, the citizens of Caddo Parish approved the assessment of a telephone surcharge to fund the development, implementation and operation of an enhanced emergency telephone reporting system. The proceeds from these telephone surcharge fees are used to fund the emergency telephone system/network; the emergency communications equipment and equipment maintenance; employee training; eight (8) systems support and administrative staff positions; a facility to house the communications officers from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Fire Department and Shreveport Police Department, who answer 9-1-1 calls and dispatch emergency services personnel; and the facility/grounds maintenance.

In 1988, construction was completed on the Emergency Communications Center (ECC), which is still used today, located at 1144 Texas Avenue in Shreveport, Louisiana. The facility’s original footprint was approximately 9,900 square feet. In 1991, the District negotiated intergovernmental agreements with public safety agencies to centralize the receipt of all 9-1-1 calls in the parish. These calls were routed to the ECC, with the Shreveport Fire Department serving as the initial call taker and providing caller interrogation and station alerting functions for the parish’s rural fire districts. In June 1992, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office re-located its communications operations into the ECC. The operations area has since grown to 32 console positions with approximately 125 communications personnel.

In November 1996, construction began on a $2.5 million facility expansion project adding approximately 9,000 square feet. The addition consisted of a new communications operations area (and administrative offices) for the public safety agencies, and a new equipment support room. On February 26, 1998, the communications divisions for each of the public safety agencies moved into this new operations center. The facility expansion project included remodeling the old communications center, and incorporating a training center and a stress mitigation room. The ECC also serves as the primary Caddo Parish Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is activated during a natural disaster or major emergency. The District’s operating reserve funds were used to fund this capital outlay project.

In 2026, the District used its remaining construction funds to refresh the facility, clean/upgrade the environmental systems, add layers of physical security, install an onsite water storage system, and modernize the EOC.

Caddo Parish’s “9-1-1” system was activated on September 17, 1989, with the first call received at 2:02:02 a.m. The average monthly call volume was ~9,000 calls. Today, the District’s system averages ~14,700 calls per month.