By Sarah Lambert, The Battle Creek Enquirer
Marshall, Mich. — If the Marshall 9-1-1 center had to be evacuated, dispatchers would have a back-up location to answer emergency calls.

The Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority on Tuesday approved the creation of a second functioning dispatch center in Battle Creek.

The second center will not be operational except in situations where the Marshall building would not serve its purpose, said CCCDA Executive Director Jeff Troyer.

“It only makes sense to have a backup, but the questions are in my mind — what danger is there of this facility going down?” said authority board member Mike Rae at the meeting.

Troyer said along with the possibility of a fire or explosion, the second center might be needed in a possible situation where the building had to be closed for maintenance.

After the center opened, there was a suspicious package scare in April. The entire building, with the exception of the dispatch center, was evacuated as the Battle Creek Bomb Squad investigated what turned out to be nothing.

If something similar happened again, dispatchers would be able to temporarily route calls to other local 911 centers as they traveled to the back-up center.

The new 9-1-1 center will be at the Battle Creek Police department, near the former Battle Creek dispatch center. It will cost CCCDA about $24,000 to set up the center.

About the Author
Sarah Lambert can be reached at 966-0589 or [email protected].

Posted with permission of The Battle Creek Enquirer.