Dispatch

About Dispatch

The Delta County Communications Center (dispatch) is located within the Delta County Sheriff's Office and employs nine full-time dispatchers and one full-time supervisor. The PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) communications center answers all 9-1-1 calls in Delta County, the Somerset and McClure pass area of Gunnison County and Maher/Black Mesa area of Montrose County plus numerous non-emergency calls.

The center is equipped with four radio and 9-1-1 phone consoles. All emergency services in Delta County, including law enforcement, fire and ambulance, are dispatched through the Delta County Dispatch Center; approximately 20 emergency and 5 non-emergency services total.

The center is open 24/7; there are usually two dispatchers on duty, with the capability of a third position. Dispatchers go through an extensive on-the-job training program with certified trainers and must become Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) certified within six months of being hired. Dispatchers must also become certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

The Communications Center is the heart of the law enforcement team. The dispatcher is the first link in the chain, and will ask numerous questions of a caller so that they can dispatch the appropriate responder(s) to the incident. Through the EMD program, the dispatcher is able to give pre-arrival first aid instructions to callers, and assist to save or sustain life until police and/or medical personnel can arrive. The dispatchers have had several “saves” with choking victims and cardiac arrest patients and have helped deliver at least three babies over the phone.

The Communications Center is equipped with modern technology including the Emergency Notification System that gives dispatchers the ability to send out mass emergency notifications to a targeted area of the county to alert them to a specific emergency such as a wildfire, flood or law enforcement activity in their area. The Communications Center also has advanced GIS mapping software to direct responders to addresses in the county.

Since August 2008, the Communications Center has been equipped  CAD (computer aided dispatching) system, which is networked with all law enforcement agencies in the county. This system allows dispatchers to relay calls and information to officers quickly and efficiently, plus it gives Dispatch and all connected agencies the ability to track previous offenders and contacts.

Radio Interoperability

To support state-wide interoperable public safety communications, the Delta County dispatch center operates on both the Statewide 800Mhz Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS) and VHF frequencies. All law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies (thanks to Homeland Security grants) now have 800Mhz DTRS radio for local, regional and state-wide interoperable communications.  The fire departments also utilize VHF radios for communications en route to and on scenes. Our dispatch center can communicate with these fire departments as well as state and federal firefighting resources such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. 

Text to 9-1-1

In addition to standard 9-1-1 emergency calls, Delta County Dispatch is equipped to receive and respond to text messages sent to 911. This service is available for use by the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired and in situations where it is too dangerous to make a voice call to 911. All phones or devices must include a text or data plan to send a text to 911. 

See more information on when to call 9-1-1.