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Dispatch supervisor describes cramped, overheating 911 equipment in Police Department basement
Summary
A dispatch supervisor gave a tour of the Police Department basement 911 room, saying outdated equipment and limited space led to overheating this summer, temporary leak workarounds and a UPS that provides about five minutes of backup before the generator engages.
Heather, the dispatch supervisor, gave a guided tour of the Police Department basement 911 room and described equipment and facility problems that she said created reliability risks for emergency dispatch.
Heather said the room houses the "Annie Alley System" equipment that brings callers' phone numbers and locations into the center for dispatch. She described the system as "a little outdated" and said the space lacks permanent air conditioning; Public Works provided an air-conditioning unit this summer to prevent overheating and potential equipment failure.
She recounted a separate incident in which staff detected a wall leak. "We had to set up a ramp that would redirect the water from coming down the wall into what we then had a trash can to collect the water," Heather said, adding that crews used buckets to remove the water "for about 2 or so days" until the leak was found and repaired.
Heather said the center is short on floor space, forcing staff to stack equipment and run electrical cords along walls to keep power available. She described the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that provides battery backup if the power fails: "So this can hold the load for about 5 minutes until the generator kicks in." She added that the UPS lives next to the furnace, which she said reduces its effectiveness because electronics "don't like to be too hot."
Heather emphasized the operational importance of the room: "This is our 911 Room. This is where all of our emergency lines come through and all the equipment that supports our 911 systems lives." She closed by saying dispatchers make a promise to be available "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" and that she wanted to give the public a firsthand look at what the team and officers deal with day to day.
The transcript does not record a formal plan, budget request, or timeline for upgrades; Heather did not give a last name or identify the city in the recording, and no elected official or supervisor appears in the transcript to describe follow-up steps.
