Renovation Starts On Emergency Services Center

Press release from Cumberland County:

Feb 25, 2021

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners kicked off the start of renovation work at the future home for the Emergency Services Center during a press conference this morning.

The facility at 500 Executive Place will house the County’s Emergency Services Department, which includes the 911 Call Center, Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management and the Emergency Operations Center, all of which are located in the Law Enforcement Center on Dick Street next to the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

Construction is slated to begin the week of March 8 and is estimated to take 12 months or less.

The County purchased the building on Executive Place in November 2018. Built in 1993, the 17,000 square foot building sits on 2.72 acres at the intersection of Ravenhill Drive and Executive Place.

“We are excited that our vision for a modern 911 Call Center will start to take shape,” said Charles Evans, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. “This project is about giving highly trained and skilled public servants the best tools to serve the community when circumstances may be at their worst.”

The current 911 Call Center has been housed in the LEC since 1974 when the facility was built. The current call center is 858 square feet, and the new center will have 2,171 square feet. Since that time, Cumberland County’s population has grown by approximately 95,000 people and the volume of emergency calls has increased.

“This project demonstrates our resiliency and how we are planning, not just for the problems of today, but for the problems we can have in the future,” said Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, a member of the 911 Committee.

The total budget for the project is $16.5 million and includes construction, equipment, technology, and property acquisition. The County received a $2.3 million grant from the N.C. 911 Board and is using $1 million from the County’s 911 fund balance. The County is financing the remaining costs through Limited Obligation Bonds.

The County has contracted with AECOM Services Inc. for design engineer and construction management services and McGill Inc. for engineering services. The general contractor is Engineered Construction Company.

This press release was produced by Cumberland County. The views expressed are the author's own.