Dispatch Center

Our Dispatch Center is the emergency and non-emergency call center for all of Washburn County.  We dispatch law enforcement for municipal police departments in addition to the sheriff’s office. The municipal police departments in our county are Spooner Police Department, Shell Lake Police Department, Birchwood Police Department and Minong Police Department.

Our Dispatch center also dispatches all emergency medical (EMS) and fire calls within our county.  There are EMS stations in Spooner, Minong and Birchwood.  The area fire departments are located in Spooner, Shell Lake, Minong, Birchwood and Chicog Township.

Our 9-1-1 system provides us with the name and number of the person calling 9-1-1 and the address or approximate location the call came from even if you disconnect the call prior to a dispatcher answering.  We will do our best to make contact with the 9-1-1 caller and determine if there is an emergency happening.  If you accidentally call 9-1-1 please stay on the line and explain the situation to the dispatcher.

In an emergency you should call 9-1-1 immediately.  An emergency is any situation that requires immediate attention from law enforcement, fire and rescue service or an ambulance.  Examples include:

  • A fire
  • A car accident
  • If you see someone hurting somebody else
  • If you see someone stealing
  • If someone is hurt or extremely sick

If you are uncertain if the situation is an emergency, please call 9-1-1 and tell us the situation. Our dispatcher will determine if it is an emergency situation and get you the help you need.

When you call 9-1-1 please remember to stay calm and answer our questions as clearly as possible.  We will get you the help you need but we cannot see what you see so it is up to you to provide us the information needed.  We will talk you though the situation including giving CPR or rendering first aid if needed.  Please remember to stay on the line until our dispatcher tells you to hang-up. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • Your name and location, including street address
  • Nature of the emergency (crime, accident, fire, etc.)
  • Location of the emergency

To report a non-emergency crime or to speak to an officer about a non-emergency situation please call our dispatch center at 715-468-4720.  Your call will be taken by a dispatcher and dispatched to officers as it prioritizes.