Ebonyse Fauntleroy, who runs emergency communications for UNC-Chapel Hill police, will lead Durham's 911 center from Dec. 14. Staffing is at 86% of authorized posts.

The City of Durham has picked Ebonyse Fauntleroy to run the Durham Emergency Communications Center, the 911 center that dispatches police, fire and EMS across Durham County. She starts Monday, Dec. 14.

Fauntleroy is the emergency communications manager for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Police Department, about nine miles southwest. The city announced the hire in a Nov. 9 release. She replaces Randy Beeman, who retired as director in late September.

Who she is

The city’s release gives her background:

  • more than 20 years in public safety communications
  • 18 years with the Atlantic City Police Department in New Jersey, rising from telecommunicator to chief public safety telecommunicator
  • emergency communications manager at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2023, running daily operations, hiring and training
  • a certified 911 instructor with the National Emergency Communications Institute, and a certified accreditation manager with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)

She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Strayer University. She also earned a certified public manager credential through Rutgers University, the release said.

“I also understand the importance of supporting the people behind the headset through effective leadership, training, and professional development,” Fauntleroy said in the release.

The job

The center answers 911 calls around the clock for about 350,000 people across nearly 298 square miles, the city said. Fauntleroy will lead 82 staff members, including call-takers, communications officers and supervisors.

City Manager W. Bowman “Bo” Ferguson said a key priority for Fauntleroy will be the workforce. The center needs to keep recruiting, training and holding on to telecommunicators “in an increasingly competitive labor market,” the release said.

The city gave two measures of where the center stands:

  • Staffing: 86% of authorized positions were filled in September 2026, after call-taker academies, more training places and hiring and retention incentives.
  • Speed: from January through September 2026, the center answered nearly 88% of incoming 911 calls within 10 seconds.

The center holds accreditation from CALEA and the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch, plus APCO Project 33 certification. The city said Durham was one of the first centers in the world to hold all three at once.

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes in how you call. Dial 911 for emergencies.
  • Got a text after a 911 call? The center sends follow-up surveys. Our earlier story explains which Durham 911 texts are real.

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