The above map illustrates the areas of the Northern Rockies Geographic Dispatch Zones for northern Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. This zone is one of nine geographic areas within the United States which are divided further into dispatch zones so they can respond quickly to local fires and other emergencies.

Click on an area in the map above to see more information about each area in the Northern Rockies Geographic Zone. It will lead you to contact names, dates of inspections, and other related notes, affected counties, and web site link if applicable.

The Geographic Area map for the United States has additional details.

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Dispatch Centers within the Northern Rockies Zone in Brief

Contractors should contact the closest Dispatch Center to their business to sign-up in one zone.

Names in blue with an underline have a website.
Scroll below for more detailed information on Dispatch Centers.

North Idaho Area (return to Zone map above)
Coeur d'Alene Interagency Dispatch Center (CDC) 3815 Schreiber Way Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 Phone: 208 772-3283 (24-hour)
Grangeville Interagency Dispatch Center (GVC) 104 Airport Road Grangeville, Idaho 83530 Phone: 208-983-6800
Agencies Represented by the North Idaho Zone	Counties in the Zone
Coeur d'Alene Tribe Idaho Department of Lands Forest Service: • Idaho Panhandle NF • Clearwater NF • Nez Perce NF Nez Perce Tribe North Idaho Fire Chiefs Bureau of Land Management	Benewah Boundary Bonner Clearwater Idaho Latah Lewis Nez Perce Shoshone
Northwest Montana Area (return to Zone map above)
Kalispell Interagency Dispatch Center (KIC) 650 Wolfpack Way Kalispell, MT 59901 Phone: 406-758-5260
Kootenai Interagency Dispatch Center (KDC) 1101 US Hwy 2 W Libby, Montana 59923 Phone: 406-293-6211
Agencies Represented in the Northwest Montana Zone	Counties in the Zone
Flathead County Fire Council Forest Service • Flathead NF • Kootenai NF Lincoln County Fire Cooperative Montana DNRC • Northwestern Land Office National Park Service • Glacier NP Lake County Fire Association Sanders County Firefighters	Flathead Lake Lincoln Sanders
Southwest Montana (return to Zone map above)
Missoula Interagency Dispatch Center (MDC) 1803 Strand Missoula, Montana 59801 Phone: 406-829-7070
Bitterroot Dispatch Center (BRC) 1801 N. First Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: 406-363-7133
Agencies Represented in the Southwest Montana Zone	Counties in the Zone
Bureau of Indian Affairs • Flathead Agency Bureau of Land Management • Missoula Field Office Forest Service • Lolo NF • Bitterroot NF Montana DNRC • Southwestern Land Office • Plains Unit, NW Land Office Montana County Fire wardens	Deer Lodge Granite Mineral Missoula Powell Ravalli Silver Bow
Central Montana Area (return to Zone map above)
Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center (DDC) 420 Barrett St. Dillon, MT Phone: 406-683-3975 (24-hour)
Great Falls Interagency Dispatch Center (GDC) 1101 15th St. North Great Falls, MT Phone: 406 731-5300
Helena Interagency Dispatch Center (HDC) 2880 Skyway Drive Helena, Montana 59601 Phone: 406-449-5475
Agencies Represented in the Central Montana Zone	Counties in the Zone
Bureau of Land Management • Butte District • Great Falls Resource Area • Lewistown Field Office • Dillon Field Office Bureau of Indian Affairs • Blackfeet Agency • Fort Belknap Agency • Rocky Boy Agency Fish and Wildlife Service • Red Rock National Wildlife Refuge • Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Forest Service • Helena NF • Beaverhead/Deerlodge NF • Lewis and Clark NF Helena City Fire Department Montana DNRC, Central Land Office • Helena Unit • Dillon Unit • Conrad Unit National Park Service • Big Hole Battlefield • Grant-Kohrs Ranch	Beaverhead Broadwater Cascade Glacier Jefferson Lewis and Clark Madison Meagher Ponderosa Teton Toole
South Central Montana Area (return to Zone map above)
Bozeman Interagency Dispatch Center (BZC) 10 E. Babcock, Box 130 Bozeman, MT 59771 Phone: 406-587-6719
Agencies Represented by the South Central Montana Zone	Counties in the Zone
Bureau of Land Management Forest Service • Gallatin NF • Custer NF (Beartooth RD) Montana DNRC National Park Service • Yellowstone NP	Carbon Gallatin Madison Meagher Park Sweetgrass NOTE: all but Gallatin and Park overlap into other zones
Eastern Montana Area (return to Zone map above)
Billings Interagency Dispatch Center (BDC) Coordinator: Bureau of Land Management 1299 Rimtop Drive Billings, Montana 59105 Phone: 406-896-2900
Lewistown Interagency Dispatch Center (LEC) 303 E. Aztec Dr. Lewistown, MT 59457 Phone: 406-538-1072 (24-hour)
Miles City Interagency Dispatch Center (MCC) 111 Garryowen Road MIles City, MT 59301 Phone: 406-233-2900 Call BLM at 406-233-2829 for last minute sign-up.
Agencies Represented in the Eastern Montana Zone	Counties in the Zone
Bureau of Indian Affairs • Crow Agency • Northern Cheyenne Agency • Fort Peck Agency Bureau of Land Management • Miles City Field Office • Lewistown Field Office • Dakotas Fish and Wildlife Service • C.M. Russell Refuge Forest Service • Custer NF Montana DNRC • Eastern Land Office (Miles City) • Southern Land Office (Billings) • Northeastern Land Office (Lewistown)	Blaine Carbon Carter Custer Daniels Dawson Fallon Fergus Garfield Golden Valley Hill McCone Musselshell Petroleum Phillips Powder River Prairie Richland Roosevelt Rosebud Sheridan Stillwater Sweet Grass Treasure Valley Wheatland Yellowstone
North Dakota Area (return to Zone map above)
North Dakota Interagency Dispatch Center (NDC) 3425 Miriam Avenue Bismarck , North Dakota 58501 Phone: 701-333-0260
Agencies Represented	Counties in the Zone
Army Corps of Engineers Bureau of Indian Affairs • Fort Berthold Agency, Three Affiliated Tribes • Fort Totten Agency, Devils Lake Sioux Tribe • Turtle Mountain Agency Bureau of Land Management • Dickinson District Bureau of Reclamation Fish and Wildlife Service • Arrowwood NWR • Audubon NWR • Des Lacs NWR • Devils Lake WMD • J. Clark Salyer NWR • Kulm WMD • Long Lake NWR • Tewaukon NWR • Upper Souris NWR Forest Service • Dakota Prairie Grasslands National Park Service • Fort Union Trading Post NHS • KnifeRiver Indian Villages NHS • Theodore Roosevelt NP North Dakota Forest Service ND Firefighter's Association	52 of the 53 counties in North Dakota. Sioux County and the Standing Rock Agency go through Custer Dispatch in South Dakota

 

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(return to Zone map above) | Back to Top

So when you hear someone talk about zones, they mean the Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC) zones. Operations are coordinated by the Interagency Coordination Groups. In the Northern Rockies, this group is called the Northern Rockies Coordination Group (NRCG).

In some areas local Tribal Councils, as well as the lead agency or interagency group, will also contract for equipment. There might also be opportunities through the State and County as well.

A wildland fire is initially managed by the local agency that has fire protection responsibility for that area. Engines, ground crews, smokejumpers, helicopters with water buckets, and airtankers may all be used for initial suppression. Various local agencies may work together, sharing personnel and equipment, to fight new fires and those that escape initial action.

If a wildland fire grows to the point where local personnel and equipment are not enough, the responsible agency contacts the Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC) for help. The GACC will locate and dispatch additional firefighters and support personnel throughout the geographic area.

When geographic area coordination centers can no longer meet the requests because they are supporting multiple incidents, or when centers are competing for resources, the request for equipment and supplies are referred to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), at Boise, Idaho.