By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio News/Birchwood Communications LLC.

 

Two new Routt County backup dispatch stations have been set up in the Hayden Police Station. Routt County Communications Director Jim Cullen said the project really got started after election day two years ago, when a bad ice storm kept Routt County dispatchers at their jobs for 17 hours, at the dispatch center in Steamboat, until relief could come. Most of the dispatchers at the Steamboat Springs center live in Hayden or Craig.

Hayden Police Chief Scott Scurlock adds that there is more than just making the commute easier for the dispatchers.

“Oh, yeah, it’s wonderful to have it here. Not only did we have the available space but also some of the camaraderie. It’s good to know who is on the other end of the radio. If we’re calling for help, or their sending us a call, we know who that person is. It’s not just a voice on the end of the radio. We can make that relationship.”

The Routt County Dispatch Center plans to have a celebration of the new Hayden dispatch stations later this month.