Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the location of the emergency? This is the address where the emergency is actually happening. If you do not know the actual address, tell the dispatcher. They may ask the following:

  • Cross streets or a "hundred block".
  • Provide landmarks, business names or parks…

You should be prepared to answer questions like these:

  • Where is the fire?
  • What is on fire?
  • How large is the fire?
  • Are any structures threatened? Are there flames moving close to any homes, buildings or gas tanks?
  • Do you know if anyone is inside the…

If you accidentally dial 911, do not hang-up. Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher that everything is alright. If you don't, the dispatcher will automatically think that something is wrong and send a police officer to check.


The same dispatchers who answer the 911 calls also answer the non-emergency calls for service for all law enforcement agencies in Douglas County. When the dispatch center is busy, the dispatchers have to ask non-emergency callers to hold on while they answer the 911 calls. Every effort is…

911 is for emergencies or things that could become emergencies.

  • Is there a threat to life or property?
  • Are you or someone else the victim of a crime?
  • Do you have a police emergency?
  • Do you or someone else have a medical emergency?
  • Do you need the fire…

When you dial 911, you will speak to a fully trained Communications Officer in the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center. The dispatcher will relay all pertinent information received, via radio or phone, to the appropriate responding agency, be it Police, Fire, Ambulance.

Emergency dispatchers need to get accurate information to allow officers to make the best decision on how to approach the situation. Dispatchers handling fire and paramedic calls must also consider the well-being of the public and the safety of the firefighters and paramedics. Callers will be…

The ECC also implemented an Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Program in December 2004. The EMD protocols allow dispatchers to provide valuable medical pre-arrival and dispatch life support instructions to callers while an ambulance is responding to the location. Every Communications Officer must…

The Everbridge system is provided for free to Douglas County residents by a grant through the NE Region Homeland Security Council. The system also is being utilized by a number of counties throughout the region.

The call notification system uses your location to send messages. For example, weather alerts are sent to you only when your location is included within the issued weather product. Your address also allows the county(s) you wish to receive alerts from to send targeted messages to you.

The Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System will send you a severe thunderstorm / tornado warning alert only if an address you list within your account is within that specific warning. If your address(es) is outside of that warning, you will not get an alert. You can verify you are signed…

Everbridge is a “confirm and quit” system meaning that once you confirm receipt of the message, the system will not use other methods of notification to reach you.

No. The boundaries on our viewer show taxable land from the perspective of the County Appraiser’s office. If you are trying to resolve an issue that involves the exact placement of a property line, we recommend hiring a professional surveyor to determine where your boundaries are. For more…

Yes and no. We map easements related to roads, but no private or utility easements.  If you are looking for easements in a particular area, you should check with the Register of Deeds office to find documentation in that location.

The measure tool is a great way to approximate distances. Ultimately, however, the map is a representation of property boundaries that cannot provide the level of precision that is available on a legal document.

In 2015, our staff completed a four-year in-depth review of every parcel boundary in the county. As a result of our efforts, we have one of the most accurate tax parcel representations in the entire state. That being said, there are areas throughout the county that are challenging to represent,…

https://gis.douglascountyks.org/propertyviewer/If you want a map of your property, your best bet is to start with the interactive

Start by browsing our Geoportal. If you don’t find what you need, send us an email to gis@dgcoks.gov. Many times, we have already created something that…

Please see the Douglas County Fee Schedule.

Land is constantly being reconfigured, so updates happen every day in Douglas County. We update the map on a daily basis so that changes are available in a timely fashion. Keep in mind that each request to change a property line is unique and may have to be reviewed in multiple departments…

The search tool provides several different ways to search for a location. You can enter a PIN, Public Land Survey section, or even a place name such as South Park or Lawrence Municipal Airport. As you type in a search term, the auto-complete function will suggest possible matches for you.

Legal property dimensions are recorded on a number of legal documents, such as plats, deeds, and certificates of survey. When accurate measurements matter, visit the Register of Deeds office to retrieve the relevant documents for your property.

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. More than just a map, GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows…

Please contact us if you have a question about why a line is in a particular location. We can review it with you and address any concerns that may arise.

Try clearing your browser cache to ensure that you are viewing the most current version of the map. The easiest way to do this is to open your browser and press Ctrl + Shift + Del on your keyboard. This will open a window with several options for clearing stored settings. In Internet Explorer,…