Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center announces leadership transition

BARREN COUNTY, Ky. – The director of the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center has announced her retirement.

According to a release by the City of Glasgow, Beverly Harbison will retire on Friday, July 10 after serving for 20 years in that position.

Harbison reportedly started as a dispatcher for the Glasgow Police Department and Glasgow Fire Department in 1985 before joining the newly formed Barren-Metcalfe 911 Center in 1994.

In her role as director, she established a uniform hiring process while encouraging communicators to maintain certifications and pursue continuing education, according to the city.

Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center says Harbison will be succeeded by April Dunbar as director, effective July 10.

Dunbar dedicated more than 25 years in total to serving the communities of Barren and Metcalfe counties through emergency communications, according to the city.

Dunbar started as a 911 telecommunicator in 2000 and steadily advanced through the organization by showing “exception leadership, professionalism and commitment to public safety,” according to the release.

The city further states Dunbar was promoted in 2014 to the first-ever shift supervisor for the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center. She was later promoted to assistant director in 2020.

Effective July 10, 2026, she has been appointed director of the agency.

According to Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center, Dunbar has “embraced numerous leadership opportunities” and has been a “strong advocate for public safety telecommunicators, professional development and improving emergency communications across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

As director, the city says she looks forward to “continuing to strengthen the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center while supporting the dedicated professionals who serve the community.”