Broward commissioners approved a countywide 911 system except Coral Springs and Plantation, which have decided to not participate.
It passed with a five to four vote on Tuesday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
The system will cost $43 million, with almost $18 million being allocated from the sheriff's budget., and about $20 million will come from property taxes. Another $4 million will come from another source.
Broward Sheriff Scott Israel has said he doesn't care where the money comes from, as long as enough money is found. Currently, cell phone 911 calls can end up being transferred multiple times, from agency to agency.
"I'd like to see everybody under one umbrella, I think it is the safest way, I think the call response times will go down," Israel has said.
In Miami-Dade County, a centralized 911 dispatch system handles all calls seamlessly.
The cities of Coral Springs and Plantation each opposed the consolidation plan, saying their own 911 systems are already getting the job done.
