Law. Co. Emergency Services Board gives peek at next 911 center

Incoming $5.9 million FEMA-rated build will span 8,250 square feet just south of I-44 in Mt. Vernon
 
Lawrence County Emergency Services Board members moved one step closer to the completion of a new $5.9 million consolidated 911 center for Lawrence County. Board members approved proceeding with the lowest bidder for the construction of the new 911 center to be located in Mt. Vernon, south of I-44 in an area that will include the construction of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Lawrence County Jail and the Lawrence County Health Department.
The Lawrence County Emergency Services Board awarded the construction project to DeWitt & Associates with plans for initial work to begin in August.
The project calls for the construction of an 8,250 square foot FEMA rated facility that will provide six 911 dispatching workstations, administrative offices, a training area, quiet rooms, locker room facilities, and kitchen area. The design process included detailed considerations to ensure 24/7 operations; including a harden FEMA rated structure, contingency plans for redundant power, diverse communication access points into the facility, as well as 911 industry standard electrical grounding requirements. Construction also includes the build-out of a 300-foot self-supporting communications tower with the assistance of American Rescue Plan Act funds that were allocated by the Lawrence County Commission.
The completion of the facility is expected in fourth quarter of 2023. Currently, 911 public safety dispatching services are provided through a contract with the city of Monett, which expires in October 2023. Since the passage of the 911 sales tax in 2019 it has been the goal of the Lawrence County Emergency Services Board to consolidate Lawrence County 911 services within a single facility located in Lawrence County.