Different digits for assistance

For a while now, the dispatch for emergency, police and fire calls have been going through the Laramie County Combined Communication Center in Cheyenne. And the transition, albeit some hiccups, has gone well,

"It is still a process of transition," Pine Bluffs Police Chief Robin Clark said. "The biggest thing is using addresses whenever we talk to dispatch. They don't know where 'John's' house is."

Clark added her officers need to adapt and say they are at an address rather than "Exxon," since the dispatchers don't live in Pine Bluffs and are uncertain where businesses are.

"It's important if they are sending aid out to us to be sure where they can meet us," Clark said. "It's equally important for people who are calling in with emergencies to know their address and the address that needs assistance."

Clark said the dispatchers have a set of questions in their system to ask for every call.

"They are taking more information from callers, so we all need to be patient but the information is helping us with the calls," Clark said. "The dispatchers are very professional and have tried to smooth out the minor transition problems."

One issue that Clark and her department and dispatch are working on is dispatching Pine Bluffs police to fire and rescue calls.

Clark explained when the dispatch was local, the police were notified and responded to all calls, usually first on the scene. With dispatch coming from the Laramie County center, it is not their protocol to notify police of the calls.

"We are working with them so they will notify us of those other calls and we can respond if needed," said Clark. "At some point we will have radios in our cars that will show us all calls. But the 911 calls will still come over our radios."

In the past, residents had used 307-245-3777 for non-emergency calls. The department is trying to phase out that number and guide all non-emergent calls to 307-637-6525.

"This is the number you will call if you need to report such things as a larceny," explained Clark. "But still call 911 if it is an emergency."

Clark reiterated the dispatch transition was going "really well." And hoped the residents will feel more comfortable with calling for non-emergency and 911 calls.