The Amherst Public Safety Communications Center was established in 1990.  Staffed by a minimum of two dispatchers at all times, it operates as a consolidated Communications Center for police, fire and emergency medical call managing.  Below is a sample of our responsibilities as the town’s nerve center:

• Emergency/911 Call Answering

• Combined Dispatch for Police, Fire and EMS

• Public Safety Radio System Coordination

• Telephone Switchboard for Police, Fire and EMS

• Provide Emergency Medical Instructions

• Fire Alarm Center – over 1400 responses

• Town Building Security Alarm Monitoring / Manage the RUOK system

• Public Safety Computerized Record Coordination

• Provide CJIS support for Amherst Police

• Dispatch the animal welfare officer and parking enforcement

• Maintain reference information for all town locations, business (and bank) employees, apartment complex tenant lists and the like

• Provide many other services for the town, and its two large "user" agencies (the police and fire departments) as well as EMS for a number of surrounding communities

• Provide the Dispatch service for the Town of Belchertown Fire Department.

Under the supervision of the Police and Fire Chiefs, the Communications Director is responsible for the overall direction of the Department and she also serves as the Town’s Municipal Coordinator for the statewide 911 system.

Emergency Dispatchers must successfully complete a twelve week training program, are cross-trained and certified in a minimum of eight basic functional areas: call-taking (both emergency and informational,) management of the 911 phone system, multi-channel Radio Console operation, CJIS computer operations, Emergency Medical Dispatching (which requires certification in CPR as well,)  Computer Aided Dispatch programs.

Your Amherst Public Safety Communication Center Personnel: