Public invited to open house, set for Sept. 9
Dispatchers at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office got a sneak peek this week at their new Communications Center, located in a former courtroom inside the LCSO, which has been completely remodeled during the last 1 1/2 years to transform it into a spacious center with state-of-the art technology and modern amenities for staff to better serve local residents.
When dispatchers officially move into the space Sept. 13, it will replace the current Communications Center, which has become cramped over the years. It has operated out of the same space along a hallway with heavy foot traffic since the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and Jail complex first opened in 2000 at 284 S. County Road 32.
“We have waited many years for this,” Sheriff Dodds said Thursday while checking out the new space alongside his staff. “It is exciting for all of us and we can’t wait to show it to our community as well. It is beautiful and really nice. The location here is quieter for our dispatchers, off in its own space without all of the noise of people moving through the hallway.
“We are very grateful to each of our partners and area businesses who have had a hand in the renovations.”
To officially unveil the new Communications Center, the LCSO hosts an open house for the public to stop by to see the space and meet staff from 3 to 6 p.m Friday, Sept. 9. Light refreshments will be served as well.
Christy Astorino, LCSO 911 coordinator, said the new center will help communications staff to better perform their crucial safety services job 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Staff members handle calls and dispatching for the 911 Emergency System, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, as well as 26 other law enforcement, fire and EMS departments, serving all of Logan County, except for the City of Bellefontaine.
Last year, the LCSO communications staff handled 54,036 calls for service. So far this year, as of Friday, they have handled 37,968 calls for service, noted Astornio, who has worked at the sheriff’s office since 2001.
The sheriff explained that this renovation project became a possibility after Logan County Common Pleas Judge Kevin Braig gave up his courtroom space and chambers at the LCSO, since he was conducting more hearings virtually.
“It’s been a much more efficient use of this large space, since as a courtroom, this area was only used a few times a month,” Astorino said. “Now we will be using it all day, every day.”
The new Communications Center also includes a break area with a kitchenette and locker space for dispatchers, along with a separate office area for the 911 coordinator.
Inside the main room of the center, the dispatchers were pleased to see all of the capabilities of their new workstations. The desks can move up and down, so that staff members can work either in a seated or standing position, especially helpful during a long shift.
“The call volume on third shift is usually a little lighter, so it will be nice that we can actually get up and move around a little more,” said Dispatcher Karen Bailey, who has worked at the LCSO for seven years.
Each of the work stations also has its own fan and heater as well so that employees can adjust the temperature to their personal preferences.
Communications staff also liked another new feature by their desks — a light that will turn either red or green, depending whether they are on a call.
“This is helpful because we usually have our headsets on, so deputies and others walking into the room might not be able to tell whether we’re busy with a call or not,” Dispatcher Bailey explained.
Each of the screens available at the new work stations have actually been consolidated to make their job more efficient as well. In addition, they have surveillance screens available above their work stations that show various areas of the LCSO complex.
There also is room to expand and add additional work stations inside the Communications Center if needed in the future.
Sheriff Dodds said grant funding and the Logan County sales tax revenues provided funds for the new center. The Roads, Bridges and Safety sales tax, approved by voters in November, is split between entities in Logan County, including the LCSO now receiving 25 percent of funds for capital improvements, which was new for this round of the longtime levy.
The new Communications Center is complimented by the LCSO’s recent purchase of new records management system, new radio system, in-car cameras and body-worn cameras for deputies. In total, the improvements will amount to approximately $1 million over the next four to five years, the sheriff said.
A number of local companies assisted with the transformation of the former courtroom into a Communications Center, including the Shelby Company, Larsen Woodworking providing the cabinets, Link Construction installing the drywall and A&E Custom Homes performing the electrical work.
Urban Renovation also provided cabinets, Deputy Jake Boyd assisted with finishing work and Focus Network Consulting Services installed the network, wiring and cabling to connect the center. Jail inmate workers also provided labor at different points of the renovation.
Lt. Ryan Furlong and communications staff member Joshua Randolph, who has worked at the LCSO for 5 1/2 years, also were very instrumental in the IT installation process, and are planning upcoming training for staff with the new equipment, Astorino and Sheriff Dodds noted.
Fellow communications staff members who checked out the new center this week include veteran staff and new hires alike — Sarah Blair, four years of service; Hannah Jones, one week; Alana Elleman, 6 1/2 years; Kayla Skidmore, four years; Brittan Crutchfield, one year; Emily Stevens, seven months; and Karli Dowden, one month.