February 13, 2024 |
Photo – Carbon County Jail and Communication Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office is getting closer to taking over emergency dispatching for the entire county.
Last November, Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris informed the Saratoga town council that he was unable to staff a 24/7 dispatching center. At the time, Chief Morris said he was in talks with Sheriff Alex Bakken to have the sheriff’s office supply dispatchers to cover Saratoga’s call center.
In December, Saratoga signed a Memorandum of Understanding to have sheriff’s dispatchers work in town. The MOU was designed as a temporary measure until Chief Morris could find full-time employees to work in the dispatch center.
However, last month, Chief Morris told the Saratoga town council that his department’s dispatching equipment needed to be replaced, at the cost of $750,000. Against his personal feelings, Chief Morris suggested the town allow the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office to completely take over all dispatching duties for the Platte Valley.
Fast forward to last week’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting. Sheriff Bakken told the board that Carbon County, with less than 15,000 residents, has 15 dispatchers working for three different law enforcement agencies. The sheriff said the time has come to combine all county dispatching duties under one roof.
Emergency dispatching for Carbon County is currently handled by the sheriff’s office, and the Rawlins and Saratoga police departments separately.
Sheriff Bakken said he is in talks with other agencies that have worked to create a combined county-wide emergency dispatch center. The sheriff said he is trying to determine the best way to ensure his plan is successful.
In December, county commissioners approved $110,000 to purchase a new emergency 911 system called PowerPhone for Rawlins, Saratoga, and the sheriff’s office.
Speaking at the February 6th board meeting, Sheriff Bakken said the new equipment is no longer needed in Saratoga since his department is going to take over dispatching duties.
Commissioner John Johnson thanked Sheriff Bakken for trying to bring dispatching services for the Platte River Valley into his department. Commissioner Johnson said a combined dispatch center has been a financial goal of the board for a long time.
Sheriff Bakken said combining all emergency dispatching into one location won’t just save the county money. The sheriff said routing all calls through the sheriff’s office will make 911 responses easier and faster.
The board thanked Sheriff Bakken for working with the municipalities to make the combined county-wide dispatching center a reality.
