Dispatch Center Upgrade
Dispatcher Charlene Williamson handles a call in the county’s 911 center. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Dispatch center upgraded
by Kootenai Valley Record
March 12, 2010
A new, computerized dispatching system now up and running at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is making life easier for dispatchers and emergency responders and safer for county residents.
A new "crystal clear" radio system eliminates the need for switching channels when traveling across the county and adds the capability for additional data such as in-car mapping, said Deputy Kirk Kraft, who helped oversee the project to upgrade the dispatch center. Within the sheriff’s office, a new console puts a host of information at a dispatcher’s fingertips.
"The biggest upgrade that a person notices is the radio console," Kraft said. "It’s now a computer, and it used to be a big push-button system."
Dispatcher Charlene Williamson called the new radio "a godsend" and said she appreciates being able to simply click on any of a number of icons on the multiple screens in front of her to page responders, rather than fighting with the sticky buttons on the old, worn out console the new system replaced.
The new system keeps a log of all radio traffic and displays a map showing the location of 911 calls. The map can be automatically faxed to responders to help them find the scene of an emergency.
Even with the mapping feature, it’s still important that people display their address so that it’s visible from the road, Kraft noted.
"Seconds count when responders are trying to find your house in an emergency," he said.
A new generator was also installed to power the dispatch center and other areas of the courthouse in cases of emergency.
Funding for the upgrades included money from payments the county receives in lieu of taxes on federal land, a grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security, and a grant from the Northern Tier Interoperability Project, which is a partnership of local, state, tribal, and federal government agencies to improve radio communications along the border between Montana and Canada.
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Editor’s Note: See the March 9, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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