HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A joint 911 call center officially opened on Redstone Arsenal Thursday combines Army and NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center operations for better communication and quicker response times, according to Col. John Hamilton, arsenal garrison commander.
And it does that while cutting costs, he said.
“We will save the taxpayers’ money, around $1 million per year,” Hamilton said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We must never compromise on the quality of our performance on their behalf, but we must accomplish those outcomes at reasonable costs. With this joint center we have found much lower costs for a higher level of performance.”
Previously, MSFC and Redstone Arsenal had separate but interdependent 911 dispatch centers. A fire alarm call, for instance, might have to be relayed from MSFC to the arsenal’s dispatchers for the appropriate response. Now there is no lag in time, officials said.
The unified 911 dispatch project took more than a year, as alarm, communication and other technical systems were relocated, software written, agreements signed and new procedures developed.
The new center is located on NASA’s grounds, according to an arsenal spokesperson. And it has already led to discussions about other partnerships.
Article source: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/01/arsenal.html