The Laramie / Albany County Records and Communications (LARC) Dispatch Center is the only one of its kind, serving 12 different first-responder agencies. The majority of emergency calls made by the Albany County public are dispatched to the following agencies, shown here with their average annual call load:
- Laramie Police Department: 55,000
- Albany County Sheriff’s Office: 15,000
- Laramie Fire Department EMS: 2,000
- Laramie Fire Department Fire: 700
If you are prepared to strategically compete for dispatcher jobs, then consider these following steps detailing how to become a 911 operator in Albany County:
 | Learn About Required Training |
 | Develop Competitive Credentials |
 | Apply with the LARC Board |
 | Maintain Your Qualifications |
Step 1. Learn about Required Training
As an emergency dispatcher at the LARC Center, you will need to obtain certain 911 operator training within two years of when you are hired, or sooner if deemed necessary by your supervisors. This includes the following:
- 67-hour Communications Course offered through the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, that includes:
- Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)-approved courses
- Proper telephone and radio procedures
- Mock dispatches and calls
- May also include Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Certification
Step 2. Develop Competitive Credentials
Although you are not required to obtain your 911 dispatcher training until two years after you are hired, you can consider obtaining this even before you have a job interview. Already possessing these qualifications can be a strong statement that you take the responsibility and training of this position seriously.
You can also consider studying for a degree in any number of areas that are related to 911 emergency dispatching. Having a college degree can provide you with three substantial benefits:
- Improve your initial qualifications
- Broaden your long-term career choices
- Help you more rapidly gain advanced certifications through the Wyoming POST Academy
With two local campus locations and more online you will have no shortage of opportunities to study for a two or four-year degree in subjects like:
- Emergency Management, where you will learn about disaster preparedness technology and integrated EM systems
- Criminal Justice, including courses on criminal behavior, interpersonal effectiveness, and conflict resolution
- Communications, instructing you on effective speaking and listening techniques as well as intercultural communication
- Psychology, where you will learn about behavior disorders, decision making, and preparing for disasters psychologically
- Law Enforcement, educating you about tactical communications and police/sheriff dispatching
Step 3. Apply with the LARC Board
Because the LARC Center is a combined city-county entity, there is a special Board that advises on personnel, budget and the like that you will apply to. Instructions about this specific process are provided on the actual dispatcher job announcement, which can be found on both the City of Laramie’s employment webpage and Albany County’s employment webpage. If there are not any current postings for 911 dispatcher jobs in Albany County you will need to check back with these agencies often, and you can also sign up with Laramie’s job notification service to be alerted of vacancies by phone and email when vacancies do occur. Besides official postings on the web, you can also check with:
- Local newspapers
- City and county human resources offices
- Local TV and radio advertisements
Step 4. Maintain your Qualifications
To remain a dispatcher with LARC you will need to attend 20 hours of POST-approved continuing training every two years. You can also always continue to augment your credentials and 911 operator training through any of the following agencies, thereby making a stronger case for promotion as you become a more specialized emergency dispatcher:
- Wyoming POST
- Albany County Emergency Management / Homeland Security Agency
- Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy
- Wyoming APCO/NENA Chapter (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials/National Academies of Emergency Dispatch)