ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.—The Orange County Legislature has approved $5 million to upgrade the outdated Emergency Operations Center.
On May 21, Department of Emergency Services Commissioner Peter Cirigliano appeared before the Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee to explain why the upgrades are needed.
The renovations aim to transition to a real-time emergency response system, with the goal of providing operators at the emergency center with as much information about the scene as possible, enabling them to make quick decisions. The new capabilities would help law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services.
Other counties in the state, including Rockland, Dutchess, and Westchester, have adopted the real-time approach to emergency operations.
The upgrades to the system will give operators more information, allow for quicker response time, and enhance coordination.
“What it comes down to is, I need to arm my dispatchers with more information,” Cirigliano said at the meeting.
Cirigliano is optimistic about the future of the Emergency Operations Center. Although its technology is outdated, he praised the condition of the building.
“I give credit to whoever designed the initial building, because we still get counties coming in, on almost a monthly basis, touring our facility,“ he said. ”It’s tremendous, it’s beautiful.”
The technology in the building primarily dates back to its construction in 2008, including the video wall, which has operated continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the past six years. It is now on its last legs and requires replacement. Additionally, the software used to run the video wall is no longer supported and must be replaced.
The Emergency Operations Center cannot access some cameras that are set up on the interstate due to outdated technology.
The money for the upgrade comes from funds previously put away for investment in public safety. Orange County finished 2023 with a $49 million surplus. Of that figure, $8 million had been set aside for security-related information technology infrastructure upgrades, including a major enhancement to the 911 emergency center.
“I don’t take this investment lightly; I know it’s a high-dollar amount,” Cirigliano said. “But in the end, I think it will make us top notch.”
Although the completion date remains uncertain, Cirigiano said a consultant is already lined up to start the planning process and is hopeful that the project will be finished by autumn next year.
The renovations will not impact the day-to-day operations of the 911 call center, he said.
