Communications Specialists support field personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by rapidly and efficiently broadcasting information from the Highway Patrol’s Central Communications Center in Salina, Kansas. Daily responsibilities include operating a data entry terminal and radio communication system to send, relay, and receive information. Communications Specialists maintain continuous contact among Highway Patrol personnel and other emergency response agencies, and they disseminate information for officers to apprehend offenders, develop investigative leads, track criminal activity, identify stolen property, and locate missing persons.

Communications Specialists also coordinate emergency medical relays across the state using aircraft and ground units, and monitor alarms and warning systems, such as those issued by the National Weather Service and local emergency managers.