Trigg County officials cut the ribbon on a new and improved Emergency Operations Center at a ceremony in Cadiz Thursday.
The Jefferson Avenue facility will house a number of first response teams including 911 dispatch and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Trigg County Judge-Executive Hollis Alexander says their old building was too small to efficiently conduct operations. He says that became apparent during the 2009 ice storm.
“We had it pretty bad over here in Trigg County and we were running out of our rescue building which had a very small meeting room and a lot of times we were sitting in each other’s laps," said Alexander. "The more space is something that we’re really excited about in the event we have a storm. I pray that we never need to use it, and that we never have another event where we have to get to our EOC center and kick it up and running but we do have the ability now if we need it.”
Alexander says the new center, unlike its predecessor, meets earthquake and safety codes. Upgrades include additional 911 dispatch stations, a room for training exercises and an emergency generator bought through a Department of Homeland Security grant.