Following a story that aired on Bigfoot 99 on February 13, 2024, we have received questions regarding a consolidated dispatch center for Carbon County and would like to provide further information to the public.
The Rawlins Police Department Communication Center provides exceptional service to the City of Rawlins and the citizens of Carbon County. We are open to discussions with all stakeholders to better understand the ramifications of consolidated vs. separate dispatch centers. The City of Rawlins’ focus regarding consolidated dispatch is on improving services for our community and first responders.
Neither the City of Rawlins nor the Rawlins Police Department (RPD) have been formally approached nor engaged in conversations with Carbon County or the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office regarding consolidated emergency communications. Previously, when the topic arose, the RPD researched consolidated dispatches around Wyoming. Based on this research, the City of Rawlins is aware that the creation of a consolidated dispatch has many complex aspects, including financial impacts, organizational structure, and redundancy in case of failure. We believe these issues must be discussed in-depth to find the option that provides equal or improved service to the public and first responders.
The RPD Communications Center dispatches for the Rawlins Police Department, the Rawlins Fire Department, and the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County ambulances. Additionally, the RPD Communications Center has been designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). As a result, all 911 cell phone calls made within Carbon County are routed to the RPD Communications Center. The RPD Communications Center has invested heavily in advanced technology, such as location information and texting capability, to assist cell phone users in emergency situations.
Of all the 911 cell phone calls received by RPD Communications Center, the clear majority are for service within the City of Rawlins. These calls are dispatched by the RPD Communications Center. Most other calls for service that are not located in Rawlins are transferred to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, followed by calls transferred to either the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office or the Saratoga Police Department. Transferring calls between dispatch centers is common across the county, as local agencies receive emergency calls, which are transferred to state highway patrol and police agencies. We follow nationally accepted protocol to minimize repeated information and are not aware of dropped calls due to transfer.
