Lewis and Clark County / City of Helena 911 Center

04/13/2026

Last week the City of Helena Commission issued a proclamation to recognize the week of April 12 -18, 2026 as National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week. 14 amazing and dedicated professionals make up the Helena-Lewis and Clark County 911 Center. Together they provide a vital service 24/7, 365 days a year. This week we honor this group that is unseen but always heard and are truly the first, first responders!

Last week, Mayor Dean proclaimed April 12-18 as Public Safety Telecommunicator Week!

We are so grateful for the amazing men and women who work in our 9-1-1 dispatch center. They play crucial role in protecting human life and property within our community by answering emergency calls, engaging with callers who are often distressed or in danger, gathering critical information, identifying the nature of emergencies, and dispatching appropriate public safety resources.

04/11/2026

UPDATE! Due to the weather and incoming lightening for everyone’s safety we are needing to conclude this event early. Thank you to everyone that made it out today! Special thanks to our sponsors, vendors and first responder partners!

We hope to see you tomorrow!

04/10/2026

We hope to see you tomorrow!

04/09/2026

Large column of smoke southwest of Helena off of Grizzly Gulch

Prescribed burn notice -

The Forest Service is planning a 330-acre prescribed burn two miles southwest of Helena off of Grizzly Gulch road on Thursday, April 9. The burn may extend into Friday, April 10 depending on conditions.

The Mini-Horse prescribed burn will incorporate lands between Show-Me-the-Horse Trail and Mini Ridge Trail systems. Trail users should choose alternative routes during burn operations on Thursday/Friday.

Please drive slow on Grizzly Gulch Road during this time period as fire personnel will be accessing the site along this road and visibility may be reduced. Residents and visitors in Helena may see/smell smoke during this window into the weekend.

Visit: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/mthlf-helenalewis-and-clark-nf-rx-fires/prescribed-burn-planned-for-thursday-april-9-and-friday-april-10-2026-04-06-2026 for more information on planned operations.

Visit: https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Public-Health/Environmental-Health/Air-Quality-in-the-Helena-Valley for community smoke resources.

03/14/2026

Information from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

02/20/2026

The planning has begun for our 8th Public Safety Open House! Save the date!!

01/27/2026

12/22/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Payton!
On December 12th, she finished the Communications Training Program, completing over 700 hours of training to become a solo Public Safety Communicator. Great job!

12/18/2025

Wow, what a day yesterday!

Our 911 Center had one of the busiest days in memory—possibly ever!

With only six positions, every seat was filled as our team went above and beyond when the winds started to blow. A huge thanks to our entire team of Public Safety Communicators, some of whom stayed hours past their shifts, volunteered to return, delayed scheduled leave, called to ask if they were needed on their days off, and even skipped breaks to keep up with the surge. Our SSD Administrator was also in the Center to support and assist.

We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and resilience as they managed countless phone calls, radio dispatches, requests, and coordinated with other agencies during this wind event.

The numbers tell the story:
📞 1,029 phone calls — that’s a 300% increase from our daily average!
🚨 505 calls for service (CFS) — a record for our Center! (December’s 10-year average is 135.)
Snapshot of yesterday’s CFS:
⚡ 131 downed power lines
🚗 9 vehicle rollovers
🚧 98 public safety & road hazards (including downed trees, street signs and poles, traffic lights out, blown off railroad crossing arms, small out-buildings at risk, and more)

We also want to thank our local responders—law enforcement, fire departments, and EMS. Your partnership, support, and patience were invaluable.

To our amazing team of Public Safety Communicators: THANK YOU for your unwavering commitment to public safety and the community!

12/16/2025

Yikes! Looks like we are in for some very windy weather tomorrow! Make sure you are prepared today/this evening and watch for rapidly changing weather conditions starting early Wednesday morning!

Update: Winds will be very strong during the day on Wednesday peaking in the afternoon. Be sure to secure any outdoor holiday decorations. Delay travel if possible on Wednesday. If you must travel, be prepared for very strong crosswinds.

11/26/2025

Information from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office

Addilyn Gagnon has been located and is okay.