The invention concerns a method (300) and system (100) for interrupting a
dispatch call. The method can be practiced in a dispatch communications
system (100) having at least a first communications channel (162) for
carrying voice traffic and a second communications channel (164) for
carrying communications-enabling information. The method includes the
steps of assigning (312) the first communications channel to at least a
first caller (133) and a second caller (135) to permit the first and
second callers to engage in a dispatch call and as the first caller has
control over the first communications channel, transmitting (314) an
interrupt message (505) over the second communications channel to inform
the first caller of an interrupt status of the second caller. The
transmitting step is performed without terminating the dispatch call.