Mercer County E-911

10/28/2026

🎃 MERCER COUNTY 911 HALLOWEEN SURVIVAL GUIDE: KIDS & ADULTS EDITION 🎃

​Happy Spooky Season, Mercer County! As your friendly neighborhood dispatch center, we love Halloween. What we don't love is answering 911 calls because someone mistook a black cat for a panther or ate an entire bag of Reese's cups and thinks they're seeing spirits.

​Whether you're hitting the streets in Princeton, Bluefield, Athens, or Bramwell, or anywhere in our BOO-tiful County... here is your official safety guide! 👇

​👻 FOR THE LITTLE GHOULS & GOBLINS (Kids Safety)

​Be Bright, Be Seen: If your kid’s costume is pitch black, attach glow sticks or reflective tape. If they look like a shadow gliding down Route 460 at dusk, you’re doing it wrong. 🔦

​Mask Check: Make sure mask eyeholes are actually wide enough for your kids to see through. We don't want any mini-Darth Vaders taking out mailbox post numbers with their shins. (Pro tip: Face paint is better than masks every time).

​The Candy Tax is Real, But Check It First: Parents, inspect all wrapped treats before consumption. Any "suspicious" full-sized Snickers bars should immediately be confiscated and "tested for safety" by an adult. 🍫

​Stick to the Sidewalks: Remind the little monsters that street corners aren't runways. Look both ways, use crosswalks, and stay in groups!

​🤡 FOR THE "BIG KIDS" (Adult Safety & Common Sense)

​Drivers, Slow Down: Children high on pure cane sugar have zero sense of physics or traffic laws. Drive extra slow through residential neighborhoods and keep your eyes off your phone! 🚗

​Porch Lights Matter: If the light is ON, they have candy. If the light is OFF, please do not egg the house—they are either out of candy or watching Netflix in peace.
Respect the code. 💡

​Costume Check for Adults: If your adult costume includes a prop weapon (swords, fake fi****ms, chainsaws), make sure it looks 100% fake from 50 feet away in the dark. Please don't make our deputies do a double-take at the gas station. 🚔

​Designated Drivers Only: If your Halloween trick-or-treating involves adult beverages or witch's brew, line up a designated driver or ride-share. NEVER get behind the wheel intoxicated. 🧹🍻

​📱 WHEN TO CALL US (AND WHEN NOT TO)

​🚨 CALL 911 FOR: Real emergencies, fires, accidents, medical issues, or actual suspicious activity.

​❌ DO NOT CALL 911 FOR:
​Asking what time Trick-or-Treat starts in your town (Check local city pages!).

​Reporting that your neighbor gave out raisins instead of chocolate (Unforgivable, but not a crime).

​Confirming whether or not the house down the street is actually haunted. Let's just assume it is and NOT TRESPASS!

​Have a spooky, fun, and SAFE Halloween, Mercer County!

Stay safe out there! 🧡🖤
​— Your friends at Mercer County 911🚨

10/25/2026

When one first responder family hurts, we all hurt.

We ask our community to stop for a moment and lift up the Logan County Sheriff’s Department in prayer and strength.

Yesterday, they tragically lost a dedicated public servant in an on-duty accident.

May their sacrifice never be forgotten, and may comfort find their family, friends, fellow deputies and first responders.

10/25/2026

10/09/2026

If you’ve ever called in an emergency in Mercer County or worked a shift alongside our team, chances are you already know how steady and reliable Brian Hopper is. Now, the whole state knows it too.

We are beyond proud to share that Brian was officially named the 2026 WV Linda G. Johnson Award! 🏆

Winning this out of every single nomination across West Virginia is a massive deal, but to those of us who know him, it couldn't be more deserved.

Brian started right here at Mercer County 911 back in 2009 as a part-timer. Over the last 17 years, he’s put in the work at every level—moving to full-time, taking on a supervisor role, training new dispatchers, and serving as our TAC officer.

His long-time co-worker, Samantha Bailey, put his nomination together because she’s worked side-by-side with him for years and sees the calm, patient leadership he brings to the room every single day, no matter how chaotic things get.

Dispatching isn't a job with a lot of fanfare. Most of the time, dispatchers are working in the dark—literally behind screens, being the calm voice on the worst day of someone's life, and making sure our line-of-duty first responders make it home safe. It’s heavy work that rarely gets the public spotlight.

That’s why we want to give a genuine thank you to the West Virginia NENA and APCO Chapters and the WV 911 Council. Thank you for taking the time to highlight the folks on the headsets and making sure West Virginia dispatchers get the honor they’ve earned.

Brian, we are incredibly lucky to have you leading by example here at Mercer County.

Leave a comment below to help us congratulate Brian! 👇 Gold line proud! 💛🖤

BLUEFIELD — A veteran Mercer County 911 dispatcher has been named the recipient of the 2026 Linda G. Johnson Award, recognizing his years of service and contributions to public safety

09/11/2026

Where were you when the world changed?

Every year on September 11th, time seems to pause. For those of us answering the calls at Mercer County 911, it's a day of deep reflection. We remember the thousands of lives lost, including the brave West Virginians and heroic first responders who ran toward danger without a second thought.

"Never Forget" isn't just something we print on a poster—it's a daily standard of duty, service, and holding tight to the unity that carried our country through its darkest hour.

As we pause to honor their memory today, we want to ask our community: How do you keep their legacy alive in your daily life? What does "Never Forget" mean to you, years later?

Share a memory, tag a local hero, or drop a note of gratitude below. Let’s make sure their courage continues to guide how we care for one another every day.

09/04/2026

❤️Today is a big day for Mercer County 911, and honestly…
It hit me right in the heart. ❤️

We officially signed the contract to bring Next Generation 911 to our community. This is something we’ve hoped for, worked toward, and worried we might not be able to afford for a long time. And today, it became real.

NG911 means more reliable phone service, better mapping and location accuracy, and redundant systems that keep 911 running even during major storms like Hurricane Helene. It means that when someone in Mercer County calls for help, the call gets through and help gets moving.

This was only made possible because two of our local foundations stepped up in a way that truly changed Mercer County's future:

🌟The Preservati Family Charitable Trust Foundation
- and-
🌟The Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation.

Without them, Mercer County would have to wait for NG911, possibly years. Years we don’t have when it comes to protecting our community.

In West Virginia, 911 centers are funded by landline and cellular fees, and the cost of NG911 is huge. Mercer County 911 is even more unique because we operate as our own authority. When we say we stand alone, we didn't know that wasn't really true, because these two amazing Foundations said: "Not today, we stand with you!"

I’m grateful. Our team is grateful. And our community is safer today because two Foundations believed in us and in the people we serve.

Mercer County 911 is moving forward, and we didn’t do it alone. ❤️

09/02/2026

🎶 “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” — Dolly Parton

Lucky for you, Mercer County 911 is looking for a few diamonds 💎 who can shine under pressure, answer calls like pros, and keep calm when everyone else is losing their minds.

We’re hiring Full‑Time Communications Officers — the voices behind the headset, the heroes behind the scenes, and the ones who know coffee is a food group.

💰 Starting at $16/hr (goes up after completion of training to $17.00)

Once you go full-time and finish your 6-month probation period:

🤑Receive an additional .50 cent an hour raise, then any other raises that are given in the future.
🩺 Full benefits — medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement at 50
🕒 12‑hour shifts on a 2‑2‑3 rotation — every other weekend is a 3‑day weekend!

If you can multitask like Dolly sings harmonies and you’ve got a heart big enough to handle emergencies with grace, apply today.

👉 Mercer County 911 — where we don’t just work 9 to 5; we answer calls 24/7.

08/26/2026

🚨 TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT: Is the Caller the Killer? 🚨

This is one high-impact training session you definitely don't want to miss.

Open to All First Responders: This 2 day class is available to both 911 Telecommunicators and Law Enforcement Officers.

Bridge the Communication Gap: Training side-by-side helps dispatchers and officers build mutual understanding and analyze critical 911 call dynamics together.

Strengthen Your Skills: Learn to detect subtle call indicators, evaluate caller behavioral cues, and enhance scene safety before responders even arrive.

Pass this along to your patrol officers and investigators, and secure your spots today!

08/13/2026

It is almost that time...FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

We at Mercer County 911 request that, before you post those adorable first‑day‑of‑school photos, take a moment to review what’s visible.

Information such as a child’s name, teacher, grade, school, or favorite activities may appear harmless, yet together, these details can provide someone with bad intentions far more insight than they should have.

Yes, we want you to celebrate the milestone, but do it safely.

If you choose to share photos online, avoid including personal identifiers or location details. Instead, share those specific memories privately with trusted family and friends.

A few mindful choices today can help safeguard your child’s privacy tomorrow. 💙

Mercer County 911, committed to even our littlest community members' safety!!