General Information

The Westminster Communications division is responsible for answering all 911 and non-emergency phone calls and dispatching for Westminster Police & Fire units. They also dispatch for Animal Management and often communicate with the Standley Lake Rangers and various City departments.

Dispatchers are trained to process and prioritize multiple phone calls at once while also working a police or fire radio channel. They use multiple computer systems to create calls for service, log responder locations, check for wants/warrants, etc. All Westminster dispatchers are trained in emergency medical dispatch (EMD) so they can provide life-saving information to callers while an ambulance is on the way, as well as provide instructions during medical situations that are not life-threatening.

Calling 911

911 should be reserved for life or death emergencies when the situation urgently requires police, fire, or medical assistance. 911 is also for any crime that is in progress.

Our non-emergency phone number (303-658-4360) can be used to report non-emergency crimes that are not life-threatening, not in progress, or when no suspect is present. It can also be used for general police, fire, or animal management questions.

The first question the dispatcher will ask is for your exact location. This is the first and most important question so they know where to send help. Landline phones typically provide an exact address, but cell phones do not. Cell phones may provide only basic location information or no location at all, so it is important to tell the dispatcher exactly where to send help.

Once the location of the emergency is determined, the dispatcher may need to transfer your call to another agency so the correct law enforcement or fire jurisdiction can respond to your location.

Because the dispatchers are handling multiple phone lines at once, they may need to place you on hold while they process a phone call of a higher priority. If this occurs, please be patient and don’t hang up. 

911 Misdials and Hang-up Calls

If you accidentally dial 911, please remain on the line and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed 911 in error.  

When a dispatcher receives a 911 “pocket dial” or a hang-up call, they will make at least two attempts to call you back in an effort to make sure you are OK and you do not need assistance.

Text to 911

Westminster Communications is set up to receive texts to 911. If you are in a situation where it is unsafe for you to make a voice call or you are physically unable to call 911, simply send a text to 911. You will still need to be able to provide your location and the details of the emergency. If Text to 911 is not available in your area you will receive a bounce-back message indicating that you must make a voice call to 911. Calling 911 is preferred, as it a quicker and more efficient way to gather information about the emergency. Call if you can, Text if you cant.

Dispatching Calls

Police calls are dispatched to officers based on priority. Calls dealing with immediately life-safety, threats to persons or property, and otherwise “in progress” are handled before other calls. Dispatchers and officers work together to handle calls in the most efficient manner possible. If it will be an extended amount of time before an officer can respond to your call, the dispatcher will try to let you know that.
Fire and medical calls are immediately dispatched to the closest apparatus to your location.

Being a police and fire dispatcher for the city of Westminster is an intense job. They are the ones who answer when you call 911 or the non-emergency phone number and dispatch firefighters, EMS and police officers to an emergency. Learn more about how this team works together to get Westminster residents the assistance they need.

The video below was produced by Aishah Santillian with the city's high school internship program and Colorado Media School.

Emergency Notification Systems

Sign up for LookoutAlert

In the event of an emergency, residents of Westminster in Adams or Jefferson County, utilizing a landline home or business phone could be called by Westminster Police/Fire using an emergency notification system. The system works in a similar manner to what is commonly referred to as "Reverse 911."

Landline phones are automatically included in the 911 database for these notifications and cannot be removed.

Internet phone users, cell phone users and VoIP (voice over IP) customers can register their phone numbers to receive emergency notifications from the Westminster Police and Fire Departments. This system helps 911 notify you when there is a public safety concern in a certain area of the city.

The service, which is managed by agencies participating in the Jefferson County E911 Authority, is available to all city of Westminster residents, whether they live in Adams or Jefferson County. If you are served by the Westminster Police and Fire departments, you can register your cell phone or internet phone number.

Note: If you were registered in the CodeRed system, your information should have been transferred over to LookoutAlert, but we ask that you go into the system and double check.

To register your cell phone or internet phone number, visit: LookoutAlert. If you do not have internet access or need assistance, please contact the Westminster Communications Center at 303-658-4360.

Additional Information:

LookoutAlert FAQ

LookoutAlert Sign-up Guide