JULY 2, 2025 |
Photo – Carbon County Detention and Communication Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
As of yesterday, July 1. 2025, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office is handling all emergency calls for the Platte River Valley.
Until recently, police and emergency 911 calls were handled by three separate dispatch centers in Carbon County: the sheriff’s office, and the Saratoga and Rawlins Police Departments.
In November of 2023, a staffing shortage led the Saratoga Police Department to supplement its workforce with sheriff’s office personnel. Around that time, Sheriff Alex Bakken and then-Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris began exploring the possibility of permanently moving all dispatching services to the county.
Last summer, Sheriff Bakken, Chief Morris, and Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward formed a collaborative working group to investigate ways to improve dispatching in Carbon County, including, but not limited to a combined call center. The group’s goal was to speak with other law enforcement agencies around Wyoming and identify the most effective way to handle emergency calls. However, by the beginning of this year, progress had stalled.
Short-staffed and in need of $700,000 of technical communication upgrades, the Saratoga Police Department could not delay any longer from joining the bigger and better-funded Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.
In May, the two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding. The Town of Saratoga agreed to pay a little more than $125,000 annually, with a built-in increase to keep pace with inflation. As part of the agreement, the sheriff’s department will also provide dispatch services for the Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department and South-Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services, or SCWEMS.
The agreement went into effect on Tuesday, July 1. The Saratoga Police Department posted a statement on Facebook announcing that, as of Tuesday morning, all 911 and police department calls are being routed to the Carbon County Communication Center within the sheriff’s department.
The Facebook post also states that visitors to the police department will find a video intercom outside the front door connecting them to the Carbon County Communication Center. A phone inside the entryway also links directly to Carbon County dispatch.
Speaking at Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken asked to create a specific fund within his department to pay for the combined dispatch center. Sheriff Bakken said he would like to track the precise cost of the merger to plan for potential future expansion.
Audio PlayerAccording to Sheriff Bakken, learning the exact cost of operating and maintaining the combined dispatch center may take more than a year.
The Board of Commissioners authorized Sheriff Bakken to create a dedicated budget line within his department, similar to the jail fund, to accurately track dispatch center expenses.
Next, the sheriff asked the Board to allow him to sign a dispatching agreement with SCWEMS North. Sheriff Bakken said his department has traditionally covered ambulance calls for the northern part of the county without a contract. The memorandum of understanding will simply put that agreement into writing.
Audio PlayerWith the incorporation of the Saratoga Police Department’s emergency call center, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office is now handling dispatching services for SCWEMS South.
The Board voted to approve the memorandum of understanding with the ambulance service.
Finally, Sheriff Bakken reported that, as of 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, the unified dispatch center was operating as expected.