THE PLAINS, Ohio — When Teresa Fouts-Imler became a 911 dispatcher in 1997, the service’s facility at 13 West Washington Street in Athens was considered a temporary location. Almost 30 years later, Fouts-Imler is Athens County’s 911 director — and the service is still in that spot.
“The current facility where the 911 center is located needs a lot of work,” she told the Independent, citing issues with plumbing, wastewater, and electrical service as well as capacity and critical infrastructure. There’s no break room for the dispatchers, either.
A new facility is long overdue, she said.
This month, Athens County 911 Emergency Communications and the county’s emergency management agency will move into new headquarters at 75 Connett Road in The Plains.
The new facility is equipped with the latest technology. The building is constructed under Federal Emergency Management Agency standards and National Emergency Number Association standards. There is a 72-hour backup generator, a 500-kilowatt generator, ballistic windows and drywalls, a training faculty and more.
“We’ve really designed this facility to take Athens County 50, 100 years to the future,” Fouts-Imler said.
The new facility is more conducive to the well-being of the agency’s 13 full-time 911 dispatchers and four intermediate dispatchers, Fouts-Imler explained. It has a quiet room, a break room with a full kitchen, places to shower and more.
“Keeping 911 staffing is extremely hard,” she said. “This job is not easy and taking care of them mentally is a top priority. This facility is really for them — every ounce of thought and consideration and getting them what they needed.”
Additionally, in January the state announced that Athens County, along with 10 other Ohio counties, will participate in the Next Generation 911 program, which will be fully implemented on Tuesday, March 18. The program improves technology for 911 centers.
“Instead of using the old triangulation of towers to get location-based callers, we are now using GIS systems that actually have real-time data to be able to transfer video,” Fouts-Imler said. “It’s going to save time, resources and lives.”
The facility was constructed with the proceeds of a 0.25% sales tax levy that voters passed in 2020, plus a $500,000 community infrastructure grant obtained from the Appalachian Regional Commission, with support from the Buckeye Hills Regional Council.
The levy was estimated to generate around $10 million over five years. The county took out a $9 million bond for the project, with the 911 agency making the payments and covering the interest, Fouts-Imler said.
However, the cost of the project has nearly doubled since the levy was passed: Initially estimated at $7 million, the new 911 and EMA center cost nearly $12 million.
“We have some time to determine the next steps to secure additional funding,” Fouts-Imler told the Independent in an email. “I will work with the board of commissioners later this year to develop a plan.”
That plan could entail asking county voters to renew the 0.25% sales tax, which expires next year.
“I think the only option we are going to have is to put it back out to the voters for the [remaining cost] of the facility,” Fouts-Imler said.
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