WINFIELD, W.Va. -- Within the next couple of months, three Putnam County emergency-service agencies will be working under the same roof.

Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the county's new 11,700 square foot 911 center that will become the home for the county EMS, the 911 dispatch center and the board that handles administration for the county's fire departments.

"All that's left is to put the furniture together, and work out any bugs with the contractor," said County Manager Brian Donat.

The fire board and EMS staff are expected to move into the building within the next three weeks. The county dispatch will make the move in January.

The new 911 center has been nearly six years in the works, and was designed with two main points in mind: new technology and lots of room to expand

The $5.5 million building was outfitted with a number of state-of-the-art audio and visual capabilities that will help keep staff members ahead of the technology curve, Donat said. As for the room, "we have enough space for the next 40 years," he said.

Most offices are outfitted with touch-screen wall panels and large flat-screen TVs. The panels allow the user to access the building's security cameras and other networks, and put a feed on the TVs in the room. 

These features have become basic components for 911 centers in recent years, Donat said.

"Instead of trying to retrofit everything as we go," he said, "it made sense to put it in at the beginning."

In January, 911 dispatchers will leave nearly everything behind at their former office in the basement of the old county courthouse. Their new spacious and light-filled office will feature a completely new operating system and phone lines.

"They'll flip a switch and go," Donat said.

The current dispatch system is about 10 years old, county Emergency Services Director Frank Chapman said last week. Such systems usually last about eight years, he said.

"It's past its prime," Chapman said. "We've been fortunate that we haven't had any major problems."

The new building also features a large room that will serve as the county's Emergency Operations Center, where all county, state and federal agencies can work in case of a disaster.

The building also features several bunkrooms for EMS staff members, dispatch workers and their directors. It also has a biohazard room, with a separate entrance so EMS workers can change and shower without walking through the building.

Another big feature for EMS workers is a training room. "They've had to beg, borrow and steal for training space in the past," Donat said. "This is a nice addition for them."

Each office, the EOC, training rooms and conference rooms have videoconference capabilities and the ability to record briefings. Dispatchers also will be able to project 911 calls and locations onto the screens if needed.

The EMS and the fire board will operate out of about a third of the building, 911 dispatchers out of another third. The middle third of the building is shared space and storage, a kitchen and a day room.

The EMS and the fire board now work out of a garage in the courthouse complex. The garage was built in 1976, with six bays and an office area. Over the years, the garage areas were converted into office space and the building now has only one bay. 

"We've built and rebuilt, and torn out God knows how many times," EMS Director Cecil Kimble said. "It has pretty much served its purpose. They got their money's worth out of it."

In addition to the main building, the new 911 complex will feature a 5,000-square-foot garage with three double bays and two lifts, in addition to an indoor area to wash vehicles.

"We got everything we need," Donat said.

Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.