New 9-1-1 center should provide better communication

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Chad Pliler, program coordinator for Southern Oregon Regional Communications, helps set up one of the banks of seven computers in the new 9-1-1 center.Bob Pennell

November 07, 2009

By Damian Mann

Mail Tribune

With the push of a button, the tables that will be manned by dispatchers in Jackson County's and Medford's new 9-1-1 center raise or lower automatically.

Seven monitors rest on the upper table, with three keyboards on the lower that will give dispatchers a more ergonomic way to deal with the vast amount of information at their fingertips during life-and-death emergencies.

The final touches are being made to the new $8 million emergency center on Pech Road near the Medford airport that will replace the current center on the top floor of the Jackson County Courthouse, a building identified as vulnerable to collapse in an earthquake. It also will replace Medford's dispatch center that's now located in a city building.

At 3 a.m. Nov. 16, emergency calls handled by Southern Oregon Regional Communications for the Sheriff's Department will be switched over to the 14,500-square-foot building.

The county used almost $7 million in reserves and another $250,000 grant for an emergency generator and communications tower. The city of Medford added a $700,000 grant that pays for equipment and the move from the Lausmann Annex.

Built by the county, the building will house both SORC and Medford's dispatch center.

"Merging the two centers is a long-sought ideal," said Talent Police Chief Mike Moran, who is board chairman for SORC. "It heightens the safety for everybody."

Currently, sheriff's deputies who pursue a suspect into Medford's jurisdiction can take several minutes to transfer the information, said Moran, a former Medford police lieutenant.

Moran said he's seen news articles referring to possible dispatch consolidation dating as far back as 1973.

"Nobody likes to give up control," he said.

SORC dispatches emergency calls for the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, many local fire districts and most local police departments, while the city dispatches for Medford and Ashland police and fire departments and the Medford airport fire department.

When Medford switches over to the new 9-1-1 center next year, it will operate independently of SORC. Plans are for the two operations to eventually combine.

Moran said there won't be much in the way of cost savings from combining the two operations, but emergency response and coordination will be improved.

He said there have been some discussions about including Oregon State Police dispatch operations in the future.

The new building is designed with the latest earthquake standards and can sustain attacks by terrorists, said SORC Director Margie Puckett.

"You have to be prepared, unfortunately," she said.

Bullet-resistant glass, security cameras, fencing and other features make the building much more secure than the old 9-1-1 center.

In addition, a new continuous power source will make the systems less likely to fail in case of a power outage.

Puckett said there have been problems keeping the system operational at the old center during recent power outages.

The 17 SORC dispatchers handle 250,000 calls a year, and the 24 Medford dispatchers deal with about the same number, she said.

Each monitor provides specific information. One advises about security systems, another provides emergency phone numbers, a third provides a map of the system and global positioning for calls, two monitors show the computer-aided dispatch system, another provides telephone information and the last shows radio traffic.

There also will be a few amenities. Dispatchers finally will get a break room and a full kitchen. There will be showers for use during long shifts.

The architect for the project is Ogden Roemer Wilkerson Architecture of Medford. Adroit Construction of Ashland is the general contractor.

After some remodeling, Jackson County plans to move its computer-technology department to the space occupied by SORC in the county courthouse.

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail dmann@mailtribune.com.

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