Salt Lake City names director of its new 911 center

Scott Frietag, an award-winning member of the Salt Lake City Fire Department, will helm the city's new consolidated 911 center.

The Salt Lake City 911 Bureau is the largest municipal 911 center in Utah. City leaders named Freitag as its director on Friday.

Freitag has been with SLCFD for 16 years, having served as its communication director and spokesman, among other positions.

In 2003, he received the fire department's Medal of Gallantry for apprehending an arson suspect at the scene of a fire. The suspect was convicted of aggravated arson and is serving a life sentence in prison, according to a news release.

Freitag is also a Layton City councilman.

"I am confident [Freitag's] experience, keen insight and management acumen will ensure the future success of our new communication department," said Fire Chief Kurt Cook.

Salt Lake City consolidated its previously independent dispatch centers for police, fire and emergency medical services to create the bureau.

The bureau eventually will be housed in the new Public Safety Building, which is supposed to be completed this summer and equipped with "state-of-the-art phone, radio and communication equipment," according to the news release. Both the police and fire departments will call the new headquarters home.

The bureau is only one of seven 911 centers in the world with a triple-accreditation from the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, and the only one in the state with the rating, the release adds.

mmcfall@sltrib.comTwitter: @mikeypanda