By LAURA ZUCKERMAN,  Idaho Falls Post Register (Idaho)

SALMON – A state grant has allowed the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office to replace a dispatch system that was the oldest in Idaho.

Lemhi’s new system, activated earlier this month, boosts efficiency and enhances safety for residents, Sheriff Lynn Bowerman said.  

The $275,889 grant, obtained through the Idaho Emergency Communications Commission, required no matching funds. The money was used to upgrade the county’s 911 phone system, replace an antiquated recording device, overhaul dispatch consoles and replace dispatcher headsets.

About $34,000 in remaining funds will cover maintenance costs for two years.

“”It brings Lemhi County into the 21st century,”” Bowerman said.

Bowerman and other local emergency officials had worried for years about the aging devices used by dispatchers to field calls for law enforcement and other agencies, including Salmon police, search-and-rescue teams and volunteer fire departments.

The 911 center and its dispatchers are the first line of defense for all emergencies, making it important that equipment and personnel function efficiently, Bowerman said.

After more than 15 years of service, the old system no longer could be repaired.

“”There were no parts; it was unfixable. If it had broken down, we would have been in a world of trouble,”” Bowerman said.

In addition to emergency and other calls, dispatchers ensure communications among local and outside law enforcement agencies – everything from dangerous fugitives to stolen vehicles.

At any given time, Lemhi dispatchers juggle several tasks simultaneously and must ensure notification to the appropriate entities amid life-threatening emergencies.

Lemhi dispatcher and juvenile jailer April Osgood said the new 911 center is far superior to the old system.

“”With the click of a button, we can tone out different entities,”” she said. “”We can tone out for 911, bar fights, domestic calls and for the little old lady who needs help with a cat stuck in a tree. You’re able to just point and click and you’re there.””   

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