OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) — In recent years, the push for a new 911 Dispatch Center in Outagamie County has been strong. Now, its starting to become a reality.
The new 10,000 square foot 911 Dispatch Center will be located next to the sheriff’s department on Appleton’s northeast side. The current facility is in the Outagamie County building basement in Appleton’s downtown.
“We’re not currently having difficulties with our 911 service, this is being done simply to ensure we don’t start having issues,” said Lt. Nathan Borman with the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office.
The current 911 Dispatch Center was built in 1991. Lt. Borman noted the need for an update due to technological advances, and also staffing issues.
“The current work environment simply isn’t that pleasant,” said Lt. Borman. “You work in a basement, there’s no windows, and our folks are working 10, 12, sometimes 14 hours a day. This I think will brighten the work area.”
The 911 Dispatch Center is currently down nine of their 31 dispatchers.
The cost of the new 911 Dispatch Center is $5.7 million, with most of the money coming from ARPA funding. It will feature new consoles, new radio equipment, and new phone and 911 systems.
The new 911 Dispatch Center is expected to be completed in December 2024; with services operating from the building starting in early 2025.
