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Background:
 By 1985, the Woodburn Police Department had begun providing dispatch services to several area fire districts and police agencies. When basic 9-1-1 telephone service became available, the local communities and public safety agencies came together and designated the City of Woodburn dispatch center as the 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the North Marion County area, and subsequently named the dispatch center North Marion 9-1-1 Communications. This has been modified over the years to North Marion County Communications or NORCOM.
In 1991, the first civilian manager was hired to oversee center operations and began reporting directly to the City Administrator even though the center was still identified as part of the police department. In 1993, the communications center was designated as a separate city department in the organization and in the city budget. Additionally, the first Communications Director was hired.
On July 1, 1995 , NORCOM separated from city government and was established as an independent, intergovernmental agency under Oregon Revised Statutes (190.010), which is where the identification as a "190" agency originates from. The agreement forming NORCOM was the result of the cooperative efforts of all the communities and public safety agencies served by NORCOM.
Profile:
 NORCOM is one of three PSAP’s in the greater Marion/Polk County area and is located in Woodburn, a prominent interchange along the I-5 corridor between Salem and Portland . The center serves North Marion County and South Clackamas County , a geographic area covering approximately 400 square miles. Bordered by the Willamette River on the West and North, service extends to Silver Falls to the East, and Waconda Road to the South. NORCOM serves a resident population of approximately 74,000. The visitor population fluctuates throughout the year depending on the circumstances. For example, during planting and harvest season, hundreds of migrant workers become temporary residents in the area, and during special events such as the St. Paul Rodeo, Woodburn Tulip Festival, Mexican Fiesta Days Cinco De Mayo Festival, Oktoberfest, Homer Davenport Days, Molalla Rodeo, the Oregon Gardens, Sam Brown Days and Silver Falls State Park, thousands of people travel through and visit our communities.
NORCOM is an enhanced 9-1-1 center and currently provides call taking and dispatch services for four (4) city police agencies - Hubbard, Mt. Angel, Silverton, and Woodburn; eight (8) rural fire protection districts - Aurora, Drakes Crossing, Hubbard, Mt. Angel, Monitor, St. Paul, Silverton and Woodburn; and two (2) ambulance service providers - St. Paul and Woodburn to include Mt. Angel and Silverton districts. During the 2005 calendar year, NORCOM processed 115,534 emergency calls for service. Of the calls answered, approximately 57% resulted in police dispatch activity and 43% result in fire/EMS response.
NORCOM is operated as a "190" agency as authorized under Oregon Revised Statute, Chapter 190. The "User" Board is comprised of administrators and elected officials from the communities and public safety agencies served, and is the governing body of NORCOM. Management of the agency is the responsibility of the Director by authority of the NORCOM User Board
The center is presently located in the basement of Woodburn City Hall , and currently employs a director, one Operations supervisor, fourteen full time communications specialists, and occasionally on-call communications specialists who work on an "as needed" basis with the requirement of 16 hours a month to retain dispatching skills.
The budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006 is $1,286,952, of which $1,183,452 is appropriated for operational expenses. Personnel Services make up 83% of the NORCOM operational budget. Funding for the communications center comes from fees assessed to user agencies for call taking and dispatch services; 9-1-1 telephone excise tax revenues, which are disbursed through Oregon Emergency Management to 9-1-1 centers according to percent of population served; and from interest in investments.
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