Montana Highway Patrol Dispatcher

Division Overview\:

The Montana Highway Patrol Communications Center provides communication and support services for Montana Highway Patrol Troopers, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Game Wardens, Montana Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Services Officers, Montana Department of Justice employees, Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officers, and coordinates with numerous other federal, state, and local agencies to uphold public safety. The 24-hour center operates at all hours, year-round, including weekends and holidays. The center is located on the west-end of Helena at Fort Harrison and provides centralized services to the state of Montana.

Job Overview\:

Dispatchers answer emergency and non-emergency calls, determine the correct response, coordinate and dispatch law enforcement units to incident locations. Dispatchers transmit and receive information via two-way radio communication and query law enforcement databases for information in support of officer safety and the execution of law enforcement units’ duties. Dispatchers also coordinate with other public safety agencies and tow-truck companies to facilitate the appropriate response to incidents.

Dispatchers receive and handle calls from citizens who can be difficult to communicate with (upset, abusive, intoxicated, suicidal, very young/old, or speech impaired) and must be able to tolerate a high degree of stress and remain calm under emotional emergency conditions.

The center is structured into 3 teams (day shift, afternoon shift, and night shift), and each team is led by a shift supervisor who works alongside them. Dispatchers perform their duties in shift work under supervision of a shift supervisor. Dispatchers work a set schedule consisting of 5-8’s or 4-10’s and work schedules are bid by seniority annually.