Regional Communications Centers

The process of screening and prioritizing calls for assistance and service, dispatching patrol and other emergency units, ensuring patrol officer safety, and coordinating a situation through its conclusion are the cornerstones of our Regional Communications Officer’s daily dispatching duties.

There are currently two Idaho State Police Regional Communications Centers (RCCs):

What It Takes To Be A Dispatcher

Dispatching for the ISP is a rewarding, fulfilling, and exciting career. If you can calmly and accurately process information during high-stress or emergency situations, this may be the perfect job for you! These positions require excellent interpersonal skills, good memory retention, and the desire to serve the public. Regional Communications Officers operate a base radio station and related equipment in receiving messages and relaying information between Idaho State Police and emergency personnel to accident and crime scenes. These positions are the critical links between police, emergency personnel, and the public.

Flexibility in Your Schedule Successful applicants must be willing to work rotating shifts (days, swing, graveyard), weekends, holidays, etc., as our centers must be staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Currently, our dispatchers work four ten-hour shifts a week.

A Clean Past Applicants are subject to an extensive personal history background check, including substance screening and a polygraph before employment. They must have good basic computer skills, able to type 50 net words per minute or more and submit a certificate valid within the previous six months attesting to this skill.

Calmness Under Pressure RCCs receive emergency calls from people with different socioeconomic backgrounds in emotionally charged and stressful circumstances. Calls are from individuals with differing levels of comprehension and/or may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Calls require patience, understanding, and prompt, courteous, accurate handling of information in conflicting situations and life-threatening emergencies.

Communication Systems Radio systems provide one of the most essential departmental services – COMMUNICATIONS. The capability of ISP to accomplish their mission without an effective communications system would be seriously restricted. For this reason, our communication systems and procedures are streamlined, efficient, and standardized. The primary responsibility of the ISP RCC is patrol officer safety.

Goals Our communications revolve around accuracy, brevity, and clarity to ensure patrol officer safety. It is through the application of these principles that ISP successfully handles all phases of communications. Success, speed, and safety of the operation remain our primary objectives.

Documentation Regional Communications Officers prepare written documentation and type reports. Successful candidates must be able to physically hear and record messages transmitted over the radio, telephone, or similar devices.

Our Mobile Command Center is mobilized by ISP to support incidents and special field operations throughout Idaho to aid in the safe, successful, and peaceful conclusions of tense situations. These incidents may include a hazardous material spill, major flooding, hostage situations, or special emphasis patrols. Centers are staffed by Regional Communications Officers (RCOs), Regional Communications Supervisors (RCSs), and Regional Communications Center Coordinators (RCCCs).