Primghar, Iowa — Ever wonder where the money goes when you pay the E911 service charge on your phone bill? The money makes its way to Homeland Security, and comes back to local Public Safety Answering Ports across the state. And some of that money has now been used to upgrade the O’Brien County Communications Center, which is located in the Sheriff’s Office at Primghar.
O’Brien County Sheriff Allen Schuknecht says he worked together with County Emergency Management Coordinator Jarod Johnson, and the E911 service board to plan and design the upgrade.
Sheriff Schuknecht says the upgrade was needed due to the fact that the current equipment was original to the building.
The Sheriff says the 24-hour a day use of the equipment led to significant wear and tear.
He says the Communications Center features two, fully-operational dispatch positions, with both being used simultaneously at times.
The Sheriff says not only the department’s dispatchers, but the entire staff are excited about the new room and the upgrades in it.
Sheriff Schuknecht says the work began March 20th, and is now just about finished. He says careful planning was done to maintain service during the remodel, including moving one radio system to another room at the Sheriff’s Office for a brief period of time.
The old Communications Center furniture had been in service since the Sheriff’s Office opened 17 years ago.
Sheriff Schuknecht stressed that project was paid for entirely by E911 Surcharge funds, and that no O’Brien County property tax funds were used to complete the project.
Here are some images of the upgrade process:
