Watauga County recently purchased land for new Emergency Service Centers

Watauga County has approved the purchase of two pieces of land to construct a new emergency services center.

The two parcels of property, purchased from Markovich Properties, Inc. and located on U.S. Highway 421, will house a multi-facility complex that will include a 911 consolidated dispatch center, Emergency Management Services and Operations Center, and medic base. The new facility will be funded by a $2.7 million grant and will serve to meet the ongoing and future demands of the county's emergency services. The new medic base will help to improve response times of ambulance services, in line with the county's study of facility and unit locations. The existing 911 dispatch center was constructed prior to the implementation of consolidated dispatch, and the new facility will allow for upgraded services. Construction on the new emergency services center is set to begin soon.