9-1-1 Dispatch

About Dispatch

The Delta County Communications Center (dispatch) is located within the Delta County Sheriff's Office and employs eleven (11) full-time dispatchers and one full-time supervisor. The PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) communications center answers all 9-1-1 calls in Delta County, the Somerset and McClure pass area of Gunnison County and Maher/Black Mesa area of Montrose County plus numerous non-emergency calls.

The center is equipped with four radio and 9-1-1 phone consoles and two additional 9-1-1 phone consoles. All emergency services in Delta County, including law enforcement, fire and ambulance, are dispatched through the Delta County Dispatch Center; approximately 20 emergency and 5 non-emergency services total.

The center is open 24/7; there are usually two dispatchers on duty, at a time with up to four dispatchers on during peak times. Dispatchers go through an extensive on-the-job training program with certified trainers and must become Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) certified within six months of being hired. Dispatchers must also become certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

The Communications Center is the heart of the law enforcement team. The dispatcher is the first link in the chain, and will ask numerous questions of a caller so that they can dispatch the appropriate responder(s) to the incident. Through the EMD program, the dispatcher is able to give pre-arrival first aid instructions to callers, and assist to save or sustain life until police and/or medical personnel can arrive. The dispatchers have had several “saves” with choking victims and cardiac arrest patients and have helped deliver at least three babies over the phone.

The Communications Center is equipped with modern technology including ability to issue Delta County Alerts to a targeted area of the county to alert them to a specific emergency such as a wildfire, flood or law enforcement activity in their area. The Communications Center also has advanced GIS mapping software to direct responders to addresses in the county.

Since August 2008, the Communications Center has been equipped CAD (computer aided dispatching) system, which is networked with all law enforcement agencies in the county. This system allows dispatchers to relay calls and information to officers quickly and efficiently, plus it gives Dispatch and all connected agencies the ability to track previous offenders and contacts.

Helpful Phone Numbers

Delta County Sheriff's Office
- 24/7 Dispatch: 970-874-2015
- Front Office Non-Emergency: 970-874-2000
- Civil Department: 970-874-2011
- Detention Facility: 970-874-2021
Local Police Departments:
- All police departments are dispatched by Delta County Dispatch - To file report or get an officer, call 970-874-2015 or dial 911
- Delta Police Department: 970-874-7676
- Cedaredge Police Department: 970-856-4301
- Hotchkiss Police Department: 970-872-3848
- Paonia Police Department: 970-527-4822
- Crawford and Orchard City, patrolled by Delta County Sheriff's Office: 970-874-2000
Colorado State Patrol, Montrose Dispatch: 970-249-4392
- Colorado State Patrol Troop 5C
- Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (DOW) - District Wildlife Manager Dispatch
- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Offices
- To request a CO Game Warden respond, call CO State Patrol dispatch at 970-249-4392.
- Cedaredge, Crawford, Hotchkiss and Paonia area (Gunnison Office): 970-641-7060
- Delta Area (Montrose Office): 970-252-6000
- Crawford State Park: 970-921-5721
Fire Departments:
- All five fire protection districts (Cedaredge, Crawford, Delta, Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford) in Delta County are staffed by volunteers and are NOT staffed 24/7.
- If you have a fire, gas leak or need the fire department, please contact dispatch at 970-874-2015 or by calling 911. Delta County Dispatch dispatches for ALL fire departments 24/7/365.
Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance):
- The Delta County Dispatch Center dispatches both the Delta County Ambulance District (Delta, Orchard City and Cedaredge areas) and the North Fork EMS district (Paonia, Hotchkiss, Crawford, Lazear and Somerset areas).
- To request an ambulance, dial 911 or call 970-874-2015. Please do not search for a local ambulance station phone number online. They are not accurate and delay response - always call dispatch!

What area does Delta County Dispatch service?

The Delta County 911 Dispatch Center is located at the Delta County Sheriff's Office and serves as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for all citizens who live in Delta County as well as Eastern Montrose County south of Crawford (Maher, Onion Valley, Cathedral Peaks, Crystal Creek, etc) and the Somerset, County Road 265 and Kebler Pass (County Road 12) areas of Gunnison County. To see a map of our service area, please visit the Emergency Telephone Service Authority page.

Does Dispatch close?

No - dispatch does not close. Dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Dispatchers are on-duty taking calls during the day, night, holidays, weekends and during severe weather.

Do you answer both 911 and non-emergency calls at dispatch?

Yes, the Delta County Dispatch Center receives all 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls for service within its Service area defined above. If you need police/sheriff, fire or ambulance call dispatch day or night and we will get you the help you need.

Who do I call to file a police report or report something suspicious that I don't believe is an emergency?

Call the non-emergency dispatch line at 970-874-2015. Dispatchers will collect the information and relay it to the correct law enforcement jurisdiction to respond. We dispatch for the Sheriff's Office and all local police departments in Delta County and have direct contact with Gunnison County Sheriff's Office dispatch, Colorado State Patrol Dispatch (including CO Parks and Wildlife), Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Montrose County Sheriff's Office dispatch. If the incident you are reporting is not part of our jurisdiction, we will relay your call to the correct dispatch center to get you help.

Should I call the Fire Department or Ambulance Station when I need help?

NO - The quickest way to get help is to call 9-1-1 or 970-874-2015. Dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day and will call out the police, sheriff, ambulance and/or fire department needed to assist you. Do NOT call the ambulance or fire station for assistance. These agencies are all dispatched by Dispatch and calling their station will delay response.

Who do you dispatch for?

The Delta County 911 Dispatch Center currently dispatches for the following agencies:

Delta County Sheriff's Office
Delta Police Department
Cedaredge Police Department
Hotchkiss Police Department
Paonia Police Department
Delta County Ambulance District
North Fork EMS
Delta Fire Protection District
Cedaredge Fire Protection District
Hotchkiss Fire Protection District
Paonia Fire Protection District
Crawford Fire Protection District
Delta County Coroner's Office
Delta County Road and Bridge
After-Hours contacts for municipal public works
Delta County Adult and Child Protective Services
Delta County Emergency Management
Dispatch as needed for Gunnison County Sheriff's Office in Somerset, CO Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Officers

How do I report an incident to the police department or Sheriff's Office after hours, on a holiday or on the weekend?

Call the non-emergency dispatch line at 970-874-2015. Our dispatchers will get you in touch with a Sheriff's Office Deputy, or local police officer from Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss or Paonia Police Departments depending on where the incident took place. Remember jurisdiction for reporting a crime is where it occurred, not where you live. Our dispatchers are trained to know this and get you to the correct jurisdiction.

If you are witnessing an active crime in progress, you are in-danger or being threatened/assaulted, or you believe others are in danger call 911.

Text to 9-1-1

In addition to standard 9-1-1 emergency calls, Delta County Dispatch is equipped to receive and respond to text messages sent to 911. This service is available for use by the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired and in situations where it is too dangerous to make a voice call to 911. All phones or devices must include a text or data plan to send a text to 911.

The guidance for Text to 9-1-1 is Call if you can, text if you must!

SOS Satellite Text to 911. Does Delta County 911 Support it?

Yes! Our dispatchers have successfully directed Search and Rescue and first responders to rescue several people that have become lost or injured while hiking or hunting or were injured in a car accident in areas without cell service. If your phone (typically iPhones) have the ability to send text messages via SOS Satellite, be sure to provide as much information as possible about your location when texting with dispatchers so we can get the correct responders headed towards you!

Radio Interoperability

To support state-wide interoperable public safety communications, the Delta County dispatch center operates on both the Statewide 800Mhz Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS) and VHF frequencies. All law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies (thanks to Homeland Security grants) now have 800Mhz DTRS radio for local, regional and state-wide interoperable communications. The fire departments also utilize VHF radios for communications. Our dispatch center can communicate with these fire departments as well as state and federal firefighting resources such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

See more information on when to call 9-1-1.