Billings City/County 911 Communication Center

The Billings City/County 911 Communications Center serves as the critical link between our community and public safety resources. Operating 24/7, our center coordinates and dispatches emergency and non-emergency calls with professionalism, precision, and care.

Partner Agencies

We proudly provide dispatch services for:

• Billings Police Department
• Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office
• Billings Fire Department
• 10 rural fire departments
• 4 ambulance services
• Crash/Fire/Rescue at Billings Logan International Airport
• Various state and federal agencies that coordinate with local responders

Our Team

Led by:

• Emergency Communications Center Manager: Justin Jagers
• Assistant Manager: Priscilla Martinez

Our team includes:

• 5 dedicated supervisors
• 31 full-time dispatchers and call-takers

Every member of our staff is highly trained and certified to handle a wide range of public safety incidents. Dispatchers complete over 1,700 hours of training, focusing on multitasking, critical decision-making, and prioritization under pressure. All dispatchers are required to achieve full qualification in each of the three radio channels: police, sheriff, and fire/EMS.

We use internationally recognized protocols including Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) to ensure consistent, accurate information is gathered and relayed to our first responders.

Technology and Infrastructure

The Communications Center is equipped with:

• A state-of-the-art Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
• A multi-million-dollar ASTRO core radio system
• Montana Zone 2 Core host, connecting Yellowstone County to statewide communications

In 2025, the Center completed major technology upgrades, including:

• A new system recorder
• Hardware upgrades to our VESTA 911 phone system

These enhancements move us closer to full Next Generation 911 (NG911) capabilities, improving resilience, speed, and location precision during emergencies.

Looking Ahead

Our vision for the future includes expanding our capabilities through:

• Deployment of a Tactical Dispatch Team
• Integration of Intelligence Analysts
• Establishment of a Real-Time Crime and Intelligence Center
• Launch of a Drone First Responder Program

We remain committed to innovation, public service, and ensuring that help is always just a call away.