FBIA will coordinate proposal

The Flathead Business and Industry Association will be the financial and volunteer coordinator for a proposed $6.9 million bond for a consolidated 911 center that will go to voters on Nov. 4.

Governments are not legally allowed to spend money on ballot measures to raise funds for themselves, so the FBIA will accept donations and handle expenses for the campaign - as well as supervise volunteers.

The association believes merging Flathead County's four emergency dispatch centers into one will save money and lives in the long run, said Executive Director Denise Smith.

"It's going to provide more consistent quality of service on a more consistent basis," said Flathead County 911 dispatcher Michelene Provo at a Thursday press conference to announce the campaign.

Right now, the county's 911 center has problems radioing deputies and emergency workers in the more remote parts of the county. The new center's equipment is expected to provide emergency radio coverage to 95 percent of Flathead County.

The Flathead City-County 911 Administrative Board is in charge of the overall project.

CTA Architects Engineers estimated that the highest possible cost for a consolidated center, including contingency money, would be $6.9 million.

If county voters approve that bond package in November, that translates to an annual property tax of $12.48 on a home assessed at $200,000.

If the bond passes, construction would begin next spring and would likely take 10 to 12 months.

If the construction bids end up below $6.9 million, the property tax rate would be trimmed accordingly, said 911 board chairman Fred Leistiko.

If the bond referendum fails, Plan B is to cram updated dispatch equipment for a consolidated dispatch center into the basement of the Flathead County Justice Center in Kalispell.

Right now, there are four emergency dispatch centers in Flathead County.

Flathead County's 911 center - operated by the Sheriff's Office - handles law-enforcement calls for rural unincorporated Flathead County, plus all fire and ambulance calls.

Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls each have dispatch centers for their own police departments.

The four centers have problems coordinating calls because of the Flathead's hodgepodge of jurisdictions and levels of service. The current dispatch equipment also is outdated, the 911 board says.

Entering the summer, 911 Project Coordinator Mark Peck did his own rough calculations, coming up with a soft estimate of $2.9 million for a 6,000-square-foot center on state land south of the U.S. Forest Service building, which is just south of Glacier High School. It would be on the future Timberwolf Drive.

Since then, CTA Architect Engineers mapped out designs, concluding that to cover every conceivable cost would be $6.9 million. The 911 board has already obtained about $1.4 million in state and federal grants to pay for the actual upgraded dispatch equipment - which is separate from the $6.9 million land and construction costs.

CTA's design calls for an 11,800-square-foot extra-hardened building, which would include a four-bay equipment storage structure. It also includes the land costs, multiple communications systems, backup systems in case the main systems fail, and specialized air venting to keep the equipment in top shape. The complex would also be fenced with one public and one alternate entrance.

"In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, this hub needs to be up and operating continually," said Corey Johnson of CTA Architects Engineers.

The concrete building would be partly covered by a hill slope. Barriers would be erected outside so a car cannot ram the building. Office spaces would be set up south of the main dispatch room so the dispatch room could expand into them in the future.

The building's interior would be deliberately kept simple with all rooms connected by one corridor running north and south. The main broadcast tower would be on the site, as well as backup generators. A backup tower would be placed elsewhere in the Kalispell area.

The Flathead's emergency calls have been increasing drastically. The Sheriff's Office reports that calls have roughly doubled from 2005 to 2007. And the 2008 calls in each month are significantly greater than each month's 2007 figures. The cities' dispatch calls are increasing at a similar rate.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com