The Communications Division’s Dispatch Center is under the leadership of Dispatch Supervisor and 911 Coordinator Bruce Fox. The center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are currently 8 full time dispatch positions who are responsible for answering all 911 and administrative calls for Jackson County. The dispatchers dispatch and communicate with the Jackson County Sheriff Deputies, 3 other local police departments, 8 fire departments, Jackson County EMS, PBPN EMS and storm spotters to help serve Jackson County and its communities. Dispatchers go though a rigorous training program to become certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers. Once certified, dispatchers can provide pre-arrival instructions over the phone during medical emergencies such as CPR instructions, bleeding control instructions or childbirth instructions before the ambulance or first responders arrive.
The dispatchers monitor weather conditions and sound the tornado sirens for all the towns except Holton. Dispatchers also have a number of duties such as processing warrants, entering protection from abuse orders, handling criminal justice information and dispatch services for the law enforcement officers. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center is also the official state-wide answering point for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Operation Game Thief.