911 Center now up and running

Aside from a few minor glitches, dispatchers had a pretty smooth transition into Flathead County’s new consolidated 911 Center.

“We’re pretty satisfied with how everything is going,” 911 Center Manager Michelene Provo said.

She said there were no problems with the initial changeover that merged dispatchers from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Kalispell Police Department, Whitefish Police Department and Columbia Falls Police Department into one facility at 625 Timberwolf Parkway in northwest Kalispell.

To make sure the transition went smoothly, supervisors remained at each of the old dispatch centers as dispatchers began dispatching calls from the center at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to Provo, who said as of midmorning all of the dispatchers had made the transition to the new center.

Phone numbers for each county law enforcement agency will remain the same and will be routed through a phone tree.

Members of the public who need to call 911 shouldn’t notice any changes, according to Scott Sampey, Office of Emergency Services director.