How to Set Up a 911 System in FiveM: Complete Guide

A functioning 911 system is the backbone of any serious FiveM roleplay server. When a civilian dials 911 in-game, that call needs to appear instantly on the dispatch console with location data, caller information, and the nature of the emergency. CDE CAD's cad-911 resource makes this possible with a straightforward setup process that connects your FiveM server directly to the CDE CAD dispatch interface. This guide walks you through every step, from installing dependencies to testing your first emergency call.

Step 1: Install the nearest-postal Dependency

Before installing the cad-911 resource, you need to install its required dependency: nearest-postal. This resource provides postal code data that allows the 911 system to include accurate location information with each emergency call. Without nearest-postal, the cad-911 resource cannot determine the caller's postal location, which is critical for dispatchers to identify where to send units.

Download the nearest-postal resource and place it in your FiveM server's resources folder. Make sure it is listed in your server.cfg with "ensure nearest-postal" and that it starts before the cad-911 resource. The postal codes provided by nearest-postal map to in-game locations, giving dispatchers a quick reference point for every incoming 911 call. Verify that nearest-postal is running correctly by joining your server and checking that postal codes appear as expected.

Step 2: Install the cad-911 Resource

The cad-911 resource is provided when you set up your CDE CAD system. To get started, open a support ticket through the CDE CAD Discord server at discord.gg/cdecad. The support team will provide you with the cad-911 resource files and help you configure them for your specific community. This is not a self-service download — the setup is handled through Discord support to ensure proper configuration.

Once you receive the cad-911 resource, place it in your FiveM server's resources folder alongside nearest-postal. Add "ensure cad-911" to your server.cfg file, making sure it appears after the nearest-postal ensure line. The load order matters because cad-911 depends on the postal data being available when it initializes.

Step 3: Configure config.lua

The config.lua file in the cad-911 resource is where you connect your FiveM server to your CDE CAD instance. This configuration file contains the critical settings that determine how 911 calls are routed from in-game to the dispatch console. Open config.lua in your text editor and configure the following values:

Config.CADEndpoint — This is the API endpoint where 911 calls are sent. It should be set to "https://cdecad.com/api/civilian/911-call" for all CDE CAD installations. This endpoint receives the call data from your FiveM server and routes it to the appropriate dispatch console based on your community ID.

Config.CommunityID — Replace "your_community_id_here" with your actual CDE CAD community ID. This ID is unique to your community and ensures that 911 calls from your server appear in your dispatch console and not someone else's. You can find your community ID in the CDE CAD admin panel under community settings, or the support team will provide it when you set up your system.

Config.Cooldown — This value (in seconds) prevents players from spamming 911 calls. With the default value of 30, a player must wait 30 seconds between 911 calls. This prevents abuse while still allowing legitimate emergency calls. You can adjust this value based on your community's needs, though 30 seconds is recommended for most servers.

Step 4: How 911 Calls Flow from Game to Dispatch

Understanding the flow of a 911 call helps you troubleshoot issues and explains the system to your community members. Here is exactly what happens when a player dials 911 in-game:

The entire process from the player pressing enter on their 911 call to the call appearing on the dispatch console takes less than a second under normal network conditions. The WebSocket connection ensures that dispatchers do not need to refresh the page or poll for new calls — incoming 911 calls appear automatically with an audible notification.

Step 5: Testing Your 911 System

After completing the configuration, it is essential to test the system thoroughly before going live with your community. Start your FiveM server with both nearest-postal and cad-911 resources running. Check your server console for any error messages during startup — common issues include incorrect resource names or missing dependencies.

Join your server and open the CDE CAD dispatch console in your browser. Place a test 911 call in-game and verify that it appears on the dispatch console with the correct information: caller name, location, postal code, and the emergency message. Test from multiple locations on the map to verify that postal codes are being resolved correctly. Have another player place a call to confirm that the system works for multiple callers simultaneously.

Verify the cooldown by attempting to place two 911 calls within 30 seconds. The second call should be blocked with a message telling the player to wait. This confirms that Config.Cooldown is working correctly and will prevent spam during live roleplay sessions.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Calls Not Appearing

Verify that Config.CommunityID matches your actual community ID in CDE CAD. Check that Config.CADEndpoint is set exactly to "https://cdecad.com/api/civilian/911-call" with no trailing slashes or typos.

Missing Postal Codes

Ensure nearest-postal is installed and running before cad-911 in your server.cfg. Check that "ensure nearest-postal" appears before "ensure cad-911" in the configuration.

Connection Errors

Check your server console for HTTP error messages. Ensure your server can reach cdecad.com and that no firewall rules are blocking outbound HTTPS connections on port 443.

Cooldown Issues

If players report being unable to call 911, check that Config.Cooldown is not set too high. The default of 30 seconds works well for most servers. Restart the resource after changing config values.

If you encounter issues that you cannot resolve, open a support ticket on the CDE CAD Discord at discord.gg/cdecad. The support team can help diagnose configuration problems and verify that your community setup is correct.

Set Up Your 911 System Today

Get your FiveM server connected to CDE CAD's professional dispatch system with full 911 call integration.