Hopkinsville Establishes Backup E911 Center Ahead of Tornado Season

Christian County Fiscal Court approves funding to set up a secondary dispatch location.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 1:31pm

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The Christian County Fiscal Court is helping facilitate E911 funds to establish a backup dispatch center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The new backup center will allow 911 operators to quickly transition to a secondary location in the event of power failures, outages, or natural disasters, ensuring residents can reliably contact emergency services.

Why it matters

Having a backup E911 center is crucial for Hopkinsville and Christian County, which are prone to severe weather like tornadoes. The current sole dispatch location has faced challenges during past outages, leaving residents unable to contact first responders. The new backup center will improve emergency response capabilities and public safety.

The details

The backup E911 center will be located at Hopkinsville Fire Department's newest fire station, which was designed with this purpose in mind. 911 operators plan to use the space at least once a month for 24-hour tests to ensure equipment functionality. The funding approved by the Christian County Fiscal Court covers the bare minimum to get the backup center operational, with more equipment anticipated in the future.

  • In 2025, the ECC had to wait 14 hours for an AT&T technician to restore phone functionality during a flood.
  • The backup E911 center is being established ahead of the upcoming tornado season.

The players

Sarah Draggo

The ECC Director in Hopkinsville who explained the need for a backup dispatch center.

Philip Peterson

A Christian County Magistrate who serves on the E911 Board and approved the funding request.

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What they’re saying

“We would just drive out there, flip a switch, and everything works so that there's less time lapse for citizens and responders to be able to communicate and get people the help that they would need.”

— Sarah Draggo, ECC Director

“This is just to get us started so that we do have a backup for the tornado season coming up.”

— Sarah Draggo, ECC Director

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Establishing a backup E911 center is a critical step for Hopkinsville and Christian County to ensure reliable emergency services, especially during severe weather events like tornadoes. The new secondary dispatch location will improve public safety and response times when the primary center is unavailable.