Gail TierneyHistory will be made this month when the new Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Operations Center opens its doors at 3549 Saunders Way in Lecanto.

Sheriff Jeff Dawsy joins me in inviting the county’s citizens to attend a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15. Besides guided tours of the new facility, all of the agency’s specialty units will be on display.

Adults and kids alike will have the opportunity to see the helicopter as well as the sheriff’s office K-9s, plus the specialized equipment of the dive team, bomb unit, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), and more. Members will be on hand to point out features, offer demonstrations and answer questions one-on-one.

Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served free of charge, and everyone is encouraged to stop by and see the new EOC up close and personal.

The sheriff is relieved to know that his dispatchers and complaint takers will no longer be occupying the cramped quarters of the old EOC building. But beyond that, he’s proud to say that when the sheriff’s office activates for severe weather or any other emergency that threatens the lives and property of families here, there will be more-than-adequate space for decision-making, an increased presence of county and emergency personnel, audiovisual support, critical media coverage, plus kitchen and sleeping facilities.

Sheriff’s office emergency management director Capt. Joe Eckstein and his staff have been key players in not only overseeing the construction phase of the new facility, but assisting with defining space needs, interior design and enhancing the county’s 911 system. In fact, they were instrumental in securing $687,497 from the state’s E911 Board to accomplish these enhancements.

The sheriff’s emergency management team also worked closely with county officials to secure a $1.8 million hazard mitigation grant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to help offset the building’s construction costs. An earlier state allocation of $2.5 million, spearheaded by state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, with assistance from the county commission and sheriff’s office administration, brought the total in state dollars for construction of the new EOC, plus enhanced 911 technologies, to nearly $5 million.

What’s more, the building project came in under budget, thus reducing even further the impact on county funding.

Sheriff Dawsy has every confidence this futuristic facility will not only serve the community well in the years ahead, but fulfill the space needs of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office for the next two decades.