Subject: [NEXTEL-1] County breaks ground for 911 center

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 22:36:03 -0400

County breaks ground for 911 center

By DAN HIGGINS
Journal Staff

ITHACA -- The first link in Tompkins County's new emergency radio system will be
in
place at the end of this year, and emergency officials say that's cause for
celebration.

Construction begins today on the new 911 Center on Brown Road, and with it,
hopes
that the rest of the emergency radio infrastructure won't be far behind.

Today, officials will turn a ceremonial shovel in a patch of dirt and then step
out of the
way for the crew of Edger Construction, the Elmira firm that will build the
facility.

The project will cost $3 million. Most of it -- $2.7 million -- will be paid for
with money the
county has already received from the tobacco industry lawsuit settlement.

It's scheduled to be completed by September.

The new building will house dispatch operations for the fire, ambulance and
sheriff's
department, Ithaca police and possibly other agencies.

Dispatchers today are crammed into a small space at the Ithaca Central Fire
Station on
Green Street.

The building will also be capable of serving as an Emergency Operations Cen-ter
in case
of natural disasters or other situations that would call for a large,
coordinated response.
Its ability to act as a command center was one of the main selling points of the
building,
said Emergency Response Director Lee Shurtleff.

One of its most important functions will be as the hub for the new emergency
radio
system the county has been planning on building for the past six years. County
officials
said plans are in place to build a communications tower at the site.

Eventually, it will fit into the county's new microwave radio system, but it's
unclear at the
moment what shape that new system will take.

Motorola was chosen to eventually build the new radio system, which could cost
up to
$18 million.

But the county is waiting to hear from the Statewide Wireless Network, a state
project
that would link radio communications from Buffalo to Plattsburgh to Montauk and
points
in between.

County Administrator Stephen Whicher said he is hopeful that the state will
agree to
share in the cost of the county's upgraded radio system, so long as it's
compatible with
the state system.

Tompkins County first activated its 911 service six years ago.

Originally published Monday, April 7, 2003

http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030407/localnews/72774.html