The Lewiston Police Department 9-1-1 Communications Center personnel handle all non-emergency and emergency calls for service within the City of Lewiston. The communications personnel are responsible for dispatching the police, fire and EMS units for the City of Lewiston. The communications personnel also dispatch EMS units to the City of Clarkston, Asotin County, Nez Perce County, Whitman County and Garfield County.

The Communications Center receives all calls for service by four Enhanced 9-1-1 lines, one dedicated ambulance line and 4 business lines. The County of Nez Perce, to include the City of Lewiston, went live with Enhanced 9-1-1 on April 30, 2002. This enhancement provides the communications personnel with the name, location and telephone number of where the 9-1-1 call is originating.

The Communications Center consists of two identical consoles, one console for dispatching of police units and the second console for dispatching of fire and EMS units and answering 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls.

The five monitors shown from left to right are as follows:

The first monitor is a part of the Nine One One, Inc. system. This system provides all the incoming 9-1-1 and all other telephone line information, as well as, a resource manager that provides an extensive Rolodex of phone numbers that can easily by dialed from their system.

The second and third monitors are part of the Spillman Technologies, Inc. system. This system provides our Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management information.

The fourth monitor is the ILETS computer system, which is the Idaho State/NCIC Computer system.

The last monitor shown is the monitor for our Zetron radio system.

The Communications Section consists of sixteen civilian employees; eight Public Safety Communications Specialists who dispatch and post records, four Senior Public Safety Communications Specialists who dispatch, post records, and are the first line supervisors for the section, one Senior Public Safety Communications Specialist who is assigned to records, one Word Processing Specialist, one Records/Communications Supervisor and one Communications Manager.

The twelve communications personnel are assigned to one of four different shifts, with one supervisor for each shift. Basically, the shifts are 0700-1700, 1100-2100, 1700-0300 and 2100-0700.

A new employee is required to successfully complete a minimum of fourteen weeks on the job training under the supervision of a certified Communications Training Officer.