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St. Mary's County reopens upgraded 9-1-1 center after $660,000 renovation
Summary
St. Mary's County held a ribbon-cutting in Leonardtown to mark the reopening of its renovated emergency communications center. County officials and Emergency Services staff said the $660,000, jointly funded upgrade expands consoles to 11, improves accessibility and technology, and follows prior refreshes in 2001 and 2011.
St. Mary's County formally reopened its emergency communications center in Leonardtown at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking completion of a $660,000 renovation the county and partners jointly funded.
Jennifer Ust, director of emergency services, said the project was “designed and outfitted by Evans Consoles, a local leader in mission critical control room design,” and thanked the commissioners, the County Administrator, the Deputy County Administrator and the Maryland 9-1-1 Board for support. She said the center’s upgrades include an expansion from nine to 11 consoles and ADA-compliant workstations to improve dispatch operations.
The renovation, Ust said, adds a central pod of four consoles “designed with future progress in mind,” a new phone system for consoles, luxury vinyl flooring, acoustic wall panels, updated lighting and other features to reduce glare and static. “This progression underscores our dedication to improving the work environment for our staff and the overall service delivery throughout our community,” Ust said.
Ust provided background on the county's communications operations: the current 9-1-1 center opened on the same campus in 2001 and the merger of fire, EMS and sheriff’s office dispatch occurred on 04/16/2002. She also noted a prior refresh in October 2011 that expanded the room from six to nine consoles. “Last year, our dispatch team answered over 159,000 calls for service in Saint Mary's County,” Ust said.
Commissioner President Randy Guy said the renovated center reflects the county’s commitment to public safety and to the staff who handle emergency calls. “Their work is fast paced, high pressure, and often lifesaving,” Guy said, calling dispatchers “the calm voices in times of crisis” and “the unseen heroes who keep our community safe every single day.”
As part of the ceremony, the commissioners read and presented an official proclamation recognizing the reopening and the role of the emergency communications center in county public safety. The proclamation, read aloud by Guy, noted the expansion to 11 consoles, the division of sections for fire, EMS and law enforcement dispatching, and the center’s enhanced monitoring and technology capabilities.
Officials credited multiple county departments, including the Office of Information Technology and Public Works, and the emergency services staff for carrying the project to completion. No formal vote was recorded; the event consisted of remarks, the ribbon cutting and presentation of the proclamation.
