SWEETWATER COUNTY — On average, the Sweetwater County Combined Communications center receives about 150 incoming calls and makes about 60 outgoing calls per day, which keeps them busy even though that was a slight decrease from last year.
According to the annual report, in 2022 the center took 78,428 voice calls, which is a decrease of about 14 percent compared to 91,438 calls in 2021.
A voice call is an actual call that comes in or out of the dispatch center, while calls for service are incidents created by a dispatcher or an officer that are tracked separately.
Combined communications Executive Director Rick Hawkins said he believes the reason for the decrease is due to first responders using their in-vehicle computers more, which requires less phone calls and radio communication to dispatch. First responders can write their own notes, look up information, and communicate using instant messaging to dispatch and other first responders.
“While it is difficult to know for sure that this is the reason for the decrease in calls, it is our best estimate,” Hawkins said. “911 calls are actually steady, so it would make sense that the decrease is a result of increased computer usage.”
As for calls to service for all of the agencies, they received 79,775 in 2022, which is a slight increase compared to 79,011 in 2021. A call for service are logged events, including VIN checks, disturbance calls, or EMS requests. These calls can be initiated from a phone call, an officer in the field, or automatically generated for a scheduled event, such as a property watch or extra patrol. Hawkins said these are non-emergent administration calls to the center. Calls for services tend to fluctuate from year to year based on the number of calls received.
“Most agencies in Sweetwater County use the same radio system, records management system, and CAD system,” Hawkins said. “We all share the same database, and the Communications Center hosts that records system. We do not dispatch for (the Wyoming) Highway Patrol, but they do communicate on the same radio system as we do.”
With all of them using the same systems, it makes tracking data easier.
The center also monitors two-way radio communication as well and minute usage, which also went down in 2022. This decrease was expected as officers use their computers more. Each responder has a radio they can communicate with instantly and the radios are still the best way to communicate while in the field to dispatch, especially in extreme situations, Hawkins explained.
“Our radio usage tracks the number of ‘on-air’ minutes on each radio channel annually, and it tracks the number of push-to-talks (PTT),” Hawkins said. “The PTT is counted every time someone keys up their radio to talk.”
When looking toward the future of communications, Hawkins said the next big thing for Wyoming is Next-gen 911. All Wyoming 911 services are running on older analog 911 circuits. The next step is to move to a digital IP 911 system. Most of the agencies are already using mobile data terminals, while others are just starting to use them. The data will change to reflect this.
As changes come, combined communications wants to be ready to answer the call when it comes in.
To review the entire annual report, click here.
