New SLO County dispatch center nearing completion to modernize emergency services ‘from the 1980s to the 21st century’

TEMPLETON, Calif. - San Luis Obispo County is drawing closer to finally open its brand new Public Safety Communications Center in Templeton.

When completed, the $39 million, 19,000 square foot, two-story facility will house dispatching services for both the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and San Luis Obispo County Fire Department/CAL FIRE.

"With every week, the anticipation builds as this building gets more complete," said Chief Deputy Nate Paul, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office. "It is getting very exciting and we're really looking forward to be able to commission it and bring it online to transfer our operations up here."

The project broke ground in October 2023 and is now moving into the its final stages over the next few months.

At the same time work continues this week, construction is now taking place during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, an annual celebration held during the second week of April to honor public safety telecommunicators for their commitment, service and sacrifice.

"We're super thankful for the community and the way that the county has kind of shown us support," said San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Supervisor, Becky Watson. "We're often the faceless voices in this profession, so it's awesome to get kind of a week where we're people say thank you."

This marks the final year Sheriff's Office and San Luis Obispo County Fire Department dispatchers will celebrate the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in their current facilities.

Both sites are located within about five miles of each other along Highway 1.

The Sheriff's Office dispatch center is located the the agency's headquarters on Kansas Avenue close to Cuesta College, while County Fire is just down the highway at the CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County facility close to the Santa Rosa Street entrance to Cal Poly.

Both dispatch centers are antiquated, cramped and inefficient for current demands and needs.

"We're going to move from 1980s technology in terms of a 1980 type building to a 21st century building that will be able to serve us for at least the next 50 years," said Paul. "The building is going to be significantly bigger, both the dispatch floor, as well as the administrative and support offices, that help dispatch and help manage it."

According to San Luis Obispo County, the new telecommunications center will provide the public with a number of key features and benefits:

• Faster and better coordinated 911 and emergency response for a safer community
• Better able to manage and communicate with emergency personnel during major fire events, earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters
• Co-locating dispatching services saves on operational and maintenance costs in lieu of two separate 24-hour facilities for Fire and Law Enforcement
• Ability to add dispatching capacity and staff as service levels grow

San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department has projected completion of the new Public Safety Communications Center to take place in mid-August.

It's expected dispatch operations will be moved into the new center sometime later on in the fall.