Construction Begins on New 9-1-1 Center

NORTH CHARLESTON - Charleston County oficially broke ground on a new building Tuesday morning that will eventually house the county's Consolidated 9-1-1 and Emergency Operations Center.

Slated to open in the spring of 2013, the new 38,000-square-foot building will feature Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification, rainwater collection, water efficient landscaping and recycled materials. It is designed to withstand 191 mph winds and earthquake forces and to be occupied during disasters. The budget for the project is nearly $26.8 million.

The Consolidated 9-1-1 Center brings emergency dispatchers from all the jurisdictions within the county into the same facility allowing them to coordinate better on issues that require multi-jurisdictional responses, according to a statement issued by Jon Zumalt, North Charleston Police Chief and Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch Board Chairman.

The Emergency Operations Center, currently housed in the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Service Building in North Charleston with the existing dispatch center, already works closely with dispatchers during emergencies, so housing the two together in the new facility makes a lot of sense, according to a statement from Charleston County Emergency Management Department Director Jason Patno.

The new facility will be located at 8500 Palmetto Commerce Parkway in North Charleston.