May 13, 2024 |
Photo – Task Force logo – Courtesy CCSO
Carbon County’s three law enforcement agencies have announced the formation of a Combined Dispatch Operations Collaborative Working Group to investigate ways to improve emergency dispatching.
On Thursday afternoon, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken announced the creation of a joint task force between his office and the Rawlins and Saratoga Police Departments.
Speaking to Bigfoot99, Sheriff Bakken said the working group is designed to find ways to improve police dispatching across Carbon County.
Sheriff Bakken said the working group will look at the challenges currently facing public safety communications, specifically staffing shortages, out-of-date equipment, and the transferring of emergency 911 calls. The sheriff said finding enough dispatchers to man three separate call centers is very difficult.
As for equipment, Sheriff Bakken said providing three call centers with up-to-date monitoring gear is very costly.
Referring to the transferring of 911 calls, the sheriff said having a single dispatch center would lower the chances of making an error when handing emergency calls over to state agencies.
Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward agreed that staffing a 24-hour dispatch center is difficult. However, Chief Ward said some of the issues with dispatching cannot be eliminated, such as transferring 911 calls.
Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris said the Combined Dispatch Operations Collaborative Working Group was formed to investigate the options available to improve emergency call service. Chief Morris said he, Sheriff Bakken, and Chief Ward will meet and discuss what, if any, changes are needed at the county’s three dispatching agencies.
Rawlins Police Chief Ward said the taskforce will allow the county’s three law enforcement agencies to better understand and convey the needs of their respective dispatch centers. Chief Ward said the working group does not have a specific end goal in mind, such as the creation of a single county-wide emergency call center.
A joint combined dispatch center is not off the table, however. Sheriff Bakken said the Combined Dispatch Operations Collaborative Working Group is dedicated to improving law enforcement in Carbon County in any way possible.
Sheriff Bakken thanked the Saratoga and Rawlins Police Departments for coming together to identify deficiencies in the county’s dispatch operations and find ways to do better for residents.
