CASPER, Wyo. —Though operated by the city of Casper, law enforcement and emergency agencies countywide are dispatched through the Natrona County Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC). In 2023, telecommunications specialists at the PSCC handled over 29,600 calls to 911, according to the Casper Police Department.
The PSCC handles fire, police, ambulance, non-emergent and even after-hours public works calls on six 911 lines and 32 administrative lines. It takes about 160,000 calls a year overall. Beyond just routing calls to specific agencies, dispatchers are trained to instruct callers on first aid, CPR, and even childbirth.
“The information they can provide really does save people’s lives before emergency personnel arrive to get them to the hospital,” PSCC Director Lori Jackson told media outlets on Oct. 2.
She was accompanied by CPD Captain Jeremy Tremel, who said the PSCC moved into its east Casper location in 2014. Since then, computers, radios, and switchboard technology has evolved. Much of the current technology is beyond the lifespan set by the vendors, meaning those companies won’t service it.
“A lot of the equipment is the original equipment from when they moved in,” Tremel said. “The hope with this proposition is that we’ll get enough funding to replace the technology for the dispatch center when it’s time to move into the new facility.”
The upgrade is one of eight capital projects for the city of Casper that could be funded by an optional sixth-cent sales tax. Voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on each proposition in the Nov. 5 general election. Only the projects approved by the majority would get funded. The tax would run for two years or just long enough to meet the sum total of approved projects.
“Essentially it’s an entire upgrade of all of the technology in the center: cabling, wiring, antennas, and things like that,” Tremel said. “This would be a refresh on all [of the technology] at one time.”
Tremel said response time is quick right now, but the $5 million in new equipment would also mean that there would be a full backup in the case of a countywide emergency.
