Whitcom

The City continues to contract all dispatching and E-911 responsibilities to the Whitcom Communications Center in Pullman, Washington. 

Partnerships

The partnership with Whitcom has provided the community of Moscow and the University of Idaho with advanced support in many technical fields. 

Whitcom employs a mapping system which provides dispatchers with overhead pictures of the address in question. They also use a geographical information system (GIS) for Moscow in conjunction with the local cellular telephone companies for locating cell phone calls. All cellular vendors are Phase II compliant which gives a dispatcher the ability to pinpoint a 911 cell phone call within a 300-foot perimeter of the location of the cell phone.

All patrol units are currently equipped with mobile data terminals which provide real-time dispatch and call comments to officers through Whitcom.

Whitcom is governed by a board of directors composed of members from five core agencies. Chief James Fry meets once a month with the Whitcom Executive Board, works closely with other executive board members, and makes recommendations for improvements while keeping a voice in dispatching matters.