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A construction crew does initial work on the site for the new dispatch center, to be added to the back of the courthouse. The project will cost $449,000.

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Construction begins on county’s new dispatch center at courthouse

by Roger Mannon
Staff Writer

Floyd County expects to open its new dispatch center by mid-October. Growth in population and technology have made the new center imperative, said Dan Campbell, county administrator.
“The existing area is really small,” Campbell said. The current dispatch center is located in a 600-square foot area of the courthouse basement.
The county established an escrow fund for the project in 2006. It has been under discussion for much longer.
In fact, the county Board of Supervisors was holding a regularly scheduled meeting on a September Tuesday morning when terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers in New York City. Upgrading communications has been a priority for communities since then.
Campbell said that there was no particular state or federal mandate to upgrade local communications. “We’ve simply outgrown it,” he said of the current space. “We need more space. Communications is very equipment intensive now. Some of the equipment we have generates a lot of heat. There is poor ventilation in the courthouse space.”
The new facility will have 2,000 square feet “of very good work space. Nothing extravagant,” Campbell noted.
The new structure will be used solely for communications. “There are not any ancillary uses planned,” Campbell said. “It is very important for public safety.”
The structure is being constructed by Price Buildings, who also worked on the Library expansion. Project cost is $449,000.