Michigan FOIA Knowledge Center
How to Request 911 Calls, Dispatch Audio, and CAD Records in Michigan
Emergency communications are often held by a county or regional dispatch authority rather than the responding police or fire department. Determine who operated the dispatch system first.
The record set
Potential records include 911 audio, nonemergency call audio, CAD event detail, call notes, timestamps, unit assignments, radio traffic, dispatch-channel recordings, and system audit information.
Draft around the event
Give the address or location, date, time window, incident number, caller or involved person when appropriate, and responding agencies. Ask for audio in its existing electronic format and the CAD event report as a native export or PDF.
Privacy, safety, and active proceedings
Agencies may identify privacy or law-enforcement concerns. Those issues do not necessarily justify withholding every portion of every record. Ask for redacted and segregable material.
Act before retention expires
Audio retention schedules vary. Submit promptly and identify the event precisely. If litigation is reasonably anticipated, consider whether a separate preservation demand is appropriate.
Reconstruct the event across systems
A 911 call, CAD event, radio traffic, and unit history are related but distinct. The audio captures what callers and dispatchers said; CAD records provide timestamps and coded entries; radio traffic shows operational communications; unit histories identify who was assigned and when.
Requesting these categories together can reveal gaps that no single record shows. Because audio retention may be shorter than retention for written CAD data, prompt action and a well-defined incident description are especially important.
Requester checklist
- Dispatch authority
- Address/date/time
- 911 and nonemergency audio
- CAD event report
- Radio traffic
- Retention timing
Primary sources
External authorities control. Confirm the current statute, decision, policy, and local procedures before relying on them.