Leaders of South Sound 9-1-1 and members of the Pierce County Council will use a series of meetings, including one in Graham, to brief the pubilc about the agency's plan to build a new public safety communications center. The center, which officials say will cost $62 million, is proposed for a site in the town of Fircrest, near Tacoma. It was selected after several months of study and discussion among South Sound 9-1-1's governing boards. The nine-acre site at 2119 Mildred St. W. is approximately three acres larger than is needed, and 9-1-1 officials and Fircrest officials are discussing the possibility of developing the excess land for retail or other commercial uses.-á Voters countywide authorized the communications center in 2011 as part of a 0.1 percent sales tax increase to fund the consolidation of six 9-1-1 operations into a regional emergency communications radio network. Officials requested the change in order to improve emergency services. Among the public meetings for updates on the project is one scheduled for May 14 at 6 p.m. at the Graham Fire and Rescue station at 23014 70th Ave. E. At least one meeting is planned for each of the seven County Council districts. The session in Graham is in Councilman Jim McCune's district, which covers south Pierce County. The only other meeting near that area is set for April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Puyallup Public Library at 324 S. Meridian. All of the meetings will include a presentation by Andrew Neiditz, executive director of South Sound 9-1-1. "There is a lot of interest from the community about the public safety communications center and the mandate of the November 2011 election,GÇ¥ Neiditz said. "If we can help remind everyone of how we got to this point and dispel some myths and confusion about the project, I'm confident we will get to the place where we need to be, so that we can efficiently handle the emergency communication needs of the public and first responders in our region.GÇ¥ The communications center would house consolidated 9-1-1 services and 250 employees. Most of the employees work in shifts to provide 24-hour coverage. The center would be a "hybrid campusGÇ¥ comprised of two buildings and parking for employees and visitors. One building, approximately 55,000 square feet, would house dispatchers and a municipal emergency operations center. It would be built to meet the construction standards of the National Fire Protection Association, National Emergency Number Association and Federal Emergency Management Agency for public safety communications centers. The second building, approximately 25,000 square feet, would be the location of South Sound 9-1-1's administrative office and Information Services department. The latter has a public counter for services such as fingerprinting and the processing of concealed pistol license applications. Officials estimate the overall project will cost $62 million. It's expected to be completed in 2017. South Sound 9-1-1 selected a development team led by Trammel Crow Company of Seattle from a competitive bid process.
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