Loveland Police Communications

The Communications Section serves as the PSAP (Primary Services Answering Point) for 911 for southern Larimer County. We receive and process routine and emergency calls for service on 911 lines, business lines, alarm lines, and internal extensions.

We handle the emergency communications for the Loveland Police Department; Loveland Fire and Rescue; Loveland Rural Fire; Big Thompson Canyon Fire; Berthoud Fire Protection District; and Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services. Our Center is staffed round-the-clock with 3 to 5 Communications Specialists depending on the time of day, the time of year, and any events going on in our city.

photo of Loveland Communications Center

Currently, we employ a Manager, 2 Supervisors, 2 Lead Communications Specialists and 14 full-time Communications Specialists. We utilize EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatching) to assist our citizens with medical problems while help is on the way. We have been able to assist with CPR, childbirth, and many other emergencies.

Our hiring process mimics the department's process for hiring officers and is administered by the Personnel Sergeant. After completing the hiring process, the fun begins with our own 16-week, in-house, Communications Training Program. After completing the training, you are certified for solo dispatching and will be required to maintain your CPR, EMD, and CCIC/NCIC certifications.

We have most of the latest, in Dispatch Technology. Our Tritech CAD system (constantly upgrading) was developed especially for our agency. Police, Fire, and EMS are all dispatched using this system.

Police officers are getting laptop computers which will soon be linked to the CAD, some are already carrying PDA's (Personal Data Assistants - Palm Pilots) that already are linked. Our phones have been upgraded to the Vesta system and are now answered with a simple click of the mouse or space bar.

We are using an 800mHz radio system, being digitally encrypted (more secure than a cell phone). Our lights in the Communications Center are operated by remote control and the consoles are equipped controls to raise and lower them for correct ergonomic positioning.

We encourage our people to meet and get to know the Officers, Firefighters, and Paramedics they dispatch for. Several of our dispatchers are volunteer firefighters, EMT's, and members of specialty teams such as Dive and Rope Rescue.