http://www.fosters.com/news2000b/june/28/cit0628m.htm

Lakes Region News Wednesday, June 28, 2000 Dispatch moves in: Mutual Aid has new communications center By CHARLES HOLLIDAY Staff Writer LACONIA — At 1:37 p.m. Tuesday the new Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Association communications center officially began handling emergency calls for the Lakes Region. Chief Doug Aiken placed a call to the old dispatch center in the basement of the Belknap County Courthouse shortly before that time and said humorously, "Stop operating. You're out of business." The move to the Dwinell Building on the grounds of the state Department of Corrections Lakes Region Facility completes a five-year effort to expand and upgrade the association's facilities. "Everything here is state-of-the-art," Aiken said of the new dispatch center. For the record, the last call at courthouse dispatch center was a structure fire in Belmont. The first official call in the new facility requiring dispatchers to tone emergency personnel was a medical emergency in Tilton at 3:08 p.m. Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid serves 35 communities in the area, coordinating emergency services. The group now has 5,000 square feet to work in, compared to 1,800 at the courthouse. It shares the building with the 9-1-1 mapping division and a soon to be built 9-1-1 alternate communications center. Aiken said the move gives the group more room and versatility. For example, he said, should the power fail, there is a generator which will supply power to the building. Should the generator fail, there is a battery backup unit that will supply eight hours of power to the dispatch area. And should that backup fail, each dispatch console has a backup 30 minute power supply. Currently, the group has two dispatchers on at a time. The new facility is equipped with four consoles. Dispatching is handled through an Orbacom mainframe computer and dispatchers use touch screens in place of the older button system. There are three ceiling-mounted televisions which carry weather and security information. A large digital clock displays the time, which is tied into a global positioning system and therefore accurate to the nanosecond range. All of the wiring for the consoles runs underneath a raised floor made of large removable tiles. "It's really the only way to build anything at this point," Aiken said. "Technology moves so fast." Aiken said the center meets every federal and state standard for telecommunications centers and several other communities have already asked to visit and tour the facility. Outside the dispatch area, the facility includes office space for two lieutenants, the chief and deputy chief, a fully-functional kitchen, an exercise room with lockers and shower facilities, storage and a board room. "We could do everything here should we need to," Aiken said. He also added that the board room is available for use by the public. Aiken said the equipment at the old dispatch center will be moved to Gilford where it will be set up as an emergency backup in case something disastrous were to happen to the new facility — he used the example of a plane crashing into the building. Ingrid Davis, a dispatcher with the LRMFA, worked the first shift in the new center. When she arrived from the courthouse location she had a computer in one hand and an old index card flip file in the other. "This is the bible," she said, referring to the list of names and contact numbers for emergency personnel in the region. "I just want to make sure all of the technology is in place before I get rid of the paper," she said. Another hold-over from the old center is a machine from the 1800s. The toaster-size box punches sets of holes in a strip of paper which dispatchers then use to determine which pull box in Laconia has been activated. Aiken said the box is only being used until a new system on order arrives. Aiken, Deputy Chief Rick Heinis, Laconia Fire Chief George Landry and Mark Drown, technical sales manager for New England Dispatching Systems Solutions, were all at the new center for the switch. There were no problems during the switch over but Aiken said there are probably some kinks to work out. "I'm sure there will be a few bugs but we have the spray," he said.