ALBANY, NY – Earlier today, Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Police Chief Eric Hawkins, and Fire Chief Joseph Gregory highlighted that construction of a new 911 Dispatch Center for the City’s emergency responders has commenced.
This new space will incorporate 21st century technology and resources seen in 911 Dispatch Centers across the nation while continuing to ensure we provide the highest level of emergency response to our residents and visitors. The new Center will be located at Albany Police Department Headquarters and is scheduled to be complete in late 2023.
The construction at 165 Henry Johnson Boulevard also include renovations to the Albany Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards that will have modern, 21st Century interview rooms and technology upgrades.
After moving the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center to its new location, the Albany Police Department will begin the conversion of the current 911 Emergency Dispatch Center at 170 Henry Johnson Boulevard to a new Albany Police Traffic Safety Division.
The entire project, including the construction of the new 911 Dispatch Center, renovation to the Office of Professional Standards, and the renovation of the new space for the Traffic Safety Division, in addition to technology improvements and other equipment, will cost approximately $3.5 million.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “When emergencies happen, our 911 dispatchers are always there to answer the call. They are the eyes and ears for our Police and Fire Departments and respond to more than 100,000 emergency calls per year. We have heard from our 911 dispatchers that their current space is dated, and we are optimistic this new space will instill a further sense of pride in our current dispatchers and help attract new dispatchers to the profession. I thank Chief Eric Hawkins and his Command Staff for leading this project alongside Fire Department Chief Joseph Gregory, City Engineer Randy Milano, Budget Director Gideon Grande, and Corporation Counsel Marisa Franchini, and look forward to seeing the new space completed later this year.”
Police Chief Eric Hawkins said, “The talented and hard-working members of the Albany Police Department's Communications Center are the first link in the emergency services chain and provide an invaluable service to our community. A new and improved communications center was long overdue and I'm excited to see this project come to fruition. I commend Mayor Sheehan for her leadership and always ensuring that the men and women of the APD, both sworn and non-sworn, continue to have the necessary tools and resources to effectively serve the Albany community.”
Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said, “This is a proud and exciting project for the valuable members of our City of Albany Communications Division as well as the Fire and Police Departments that they assist in emergencies. The dispatchers in our Emergency 911 Center play an important role in our Departments responding to calls for help. They are asked to perform calmly and professionally in some of the highest pressure moments of emergencies. This new state of the art facility will help our dispatchers maintain and elevate the standards of emergency response that our City of Albany residents depend on every day in times of crisis. I am honored to stand beside Mayor Sheehan and Chief Hawkins as we continue to elevate the tools and technology available to our frontline staff as we all provide protection to our great City of Albany.”
Common Council Public Safety Committee Chair and 15th Ward Councilmember Tom Hoey said, “This new state-of-the-art call center shows the City of Albany’s commitment to public safety for its residents.”
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