South Sound 911’s new, bigger communications building almost open. Here’s a look inside

South Sound 911’s new regional communications center is set to open its public counter July 20, bringing Pierce County and dispatchers a bigger, more effective space for operations.

The building spans 74,528 square feet and cost $59 million to construct. Construction began in September 2019 and is wrapping up with construction coordinators, electrical and data workers still on site as of Thursday. For Kris McNamar, community relations manager at South Sound 911, seeing a new, centralized building after 17 years of working for the agency is “overwhelming.”

“There’s so many efficiencies we’ll be able to gain,” McNamar said.

The building, 3580 Pacific Ave., sits at the site of the former Puget Sound Hospital, taking up 5.34 acres, according to a South Sound 911 fact sheet. The three-floored structure includes a 11,393-square-foot communications center, a 960-square-foot dedicated training room and 579-square-foot training lab.

As a whole, the facility will help bring police and fire dispatch under one roof, something McNamar sees as “a new beginning.” Having everyone in the same building will allow for faster communication and help fulfill a promise to voters, McNamar said.

The communications center holds 73 consoles for the agency, plus an additional six consoles in the training lab. Each console is equipped with multiple monitors, the computer-assisted dispatch system, a phone and radio, depending on the role, McNamar said in an email.

McNamar said one of the biggest pieces of employee feedback for the building was that South Sound 911 workers wanted more space. The communications floor holds room for expansion, McNamar said, and is one of the biggest reasons why the new building was necessary.

Agency workers also requested an employee community garden, which was put on the new grounds, McNamar said. McNamar also said the agency knows being a dispatcher can take a toll, so a larger break room, more de-stress or quiet rooms, a fitness room and a walking trail were constructed.

For those visiting the new communications center, a public restroom will be available. McNamar said there is not one available at the agency’s records office at 945 Tacoma Ave. S.

The agency’s current dispatch center on South 35th Street will become South Sound 911’s back-up facility, and $1.5 million in the new building’s budget is set aside for back-up facility renovations and upgrades.

“I hope our customers just appreciate it, too,” McNamar said.

McNamar said the COVID-19 pandemic did not have much of an impact on the construction timeline. There were a couple material delays, but construction was already well underway when the pandemic hit.

Moving into the new building starts Friday, McNamar said.

A phased move-in will take place over several months. The first employees will be on grounds Monday in preparation for the Tuesday public counter opening, McNamar said. At the counter, people can make appointments for fingerprinting related to concealed pistol licensing and firearms dealer licensing, McNamar said in an email.

The first employees to call the new building home will be technical, administrative and records workers. More technical workers will transition to the office in August, and in the final wave in September will include dispatch.

This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 5:05 AM.