FARMINGTON – The long-awaited move into the county’s new dispatch center will take place later this month, upon installation of state-purchased next generation 9-1-1 equipment.
The Franklin County Regional Communication Center will be operating out of a 2,200 square foot building located near the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s office building off the Fairbanks Road. The new, stand-alone structure was designed to give dispatchers adequate space and a secure facility to direct countywide communications.
It was primarily paid for out of a $600,000 bond approved by voters at referendum in 2012. The county hired Plymouth Engineering Inc. to do the architecture and design work, with Taylor Made Homes, based out of Wilton, serving as the project’s general contractor.
Construction was completed in June 2013. County officials opted to wait for the next generation 9-1-1 equipment to be installed by the state before occupying the new building, rather than attempt the expensive proposition of moving the older equipment across the street. State delays in acquiring and implementing the installation of the equipment pushed the move back approximately six months.
However, Communications Director Stan Wheeler reported that the April 25 move date appeared quite firm, with the state having conducted seven to eight successful installs throughout Maine. Once every Public Safety Answering Point in the state had been switched over to the next generation equipment, Wheeler noted, the state would be the first in the country to operate entirely on the new equipment.
Approximately 15 people would be performing various tasks associated with the move on April 25, Wheeler said, including moving temporary radios and other backup systems into place. Although other fine tuning work would be conducted before and after April 25, the new center would be operating on that date.
“We’re going to be operational on the 25th,” Wheeler said. He noted that Jay emergency services would be brought onto the same frequency as the rest of the county the following week.
Once the new center is open for business, dialing 778-2680 will connect callers to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s office building, Wheeler said, with the dispatch center available at 778-6140. Those with emergencies should continue dialing 911.
Wheeler also noted that county firefighters had donated a total of $300 to go toward the purchase of fleece vest for dispatchers, allowing them to identify themselves as such at training events.
Why change the phone number?
$600,000 to build a 2200SF shack….????
Most of that cost went to state permits and inspections. Red tape much?
Personally, I’m delighted to know we will have an updated system. Will it show the exact locatiion and phone number of the person calling? That would save time in an emergency when a panicked person can only think of fire, but the dispatcher has to make sure he has written down the correct address.