HARDIN — The Hardin Police Department is set to receive a big upgrade to its dispatch system thanks to a $113,000 grant from the Montana Coal Board.
The grant, along with leftover money from the last fiscal year, will allow the department to purchase new dispatch units that will be better connected to surrounding agencies and more equipped to handle the rural area.
To hear about the new dispatch system, watch this video:
In the past, the department has relied on a dispatch system based out of Alabama and worked using cell phone service. Police Chief Paul George said that the old dispatch system often led to gaps in communication.
"If we lose cell service, we lose radio service and we can't contact our dispatch," George said Wednesday morning. "It does create a bit of a disconnect."
George explained that because of the system faltering recently, their reports often weren't thorough.
"Sometimes we lose some of the information just because they're in a rush or they're trying to answer other 9-1-1 calls or non-emergency calls," George said.
George added that it isn't uncommon for smaller departments like his to outsource their dispatch to other counties, though he added that crossing multiple state lines is fairly rare. His hope is that the new system will create better efficiency of communication.
"It should be a huge help," George said. "Both for the safety for the officers, safety for the community and just information sharing."
The new dispatch system will create better contact for the department with nearby agencies, which George said is probably the biggest benefit.
"It's just going to make things quicker on everybody's end," George said.
The timeline for when the dispatch system will go into full use is still up in the air, though George expects it to be functioning next year. The new technology will also come at a time when the department is hiring four new officers.
"With the addition of the new staff and the added equipment, it just relieves a lot of stress on the officers, the dispatchers and the community," George said.
