GLASGOW, Ky. — The Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center will have new leadership later this week as longtime Director Beverly Harbison retires after more than four decades in emergency communications.

Harbison’s retirement takes effect July 10, concluding a career that included 20 years as director of the regional 911 center serving Barren and Metcalfe counties.

She began her career in 1985 as a dispatcher for the Glasgow Police and Fire Department before joining the newly formed Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center in 1994.

During her tenure as director, Harbison established a standardized hiring process and emphasized continuing education and professional certifications for emergency communications staff, according to a news release.

April Dunbar, the center’s assistant director, will succeed Harbison as director effective July 10.

Dunbar has spent more than 25 years with the agency after beginning her career as a 911 telecommunicator in 2000. She was promoted to the center's first shift supervisor in 2014 before becoming assistant director in 2020.

According to the communications center, Dunbar has helped advance operations, training, technology and regional collaboration during her time in leadership.

A graduate of Glasgow High School and resident of Temple Hill, Dunbar holds both the Emergency Number Professional certification, earned in 2018, and the Certified Manager of Public Safety Communications credential, earned in 2019.

She also serves as president of the Kentucky chapter of the National Emergency Number Association and has been active with the Kentucky Emergency Services Conference and the Kentucky Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce.

According to the announcement, Dunbar plans to continue strengthening the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center while supporting the telecommunicators who serve the region.

Harbison’s retirement and Dunbar’s appointment both take effect July 10.