SLO County touts improved public safety with opening of new dispatch center
Dave Alley
TEMPLETON, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo County celebrated the grand opening of its long-planned new public safety communications center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Monday morning.
Located in Templeton just off Highway 101, the 20,193 square foot two-story building will bring together emergency dispatch services for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and San Luis Obispo County Fire Department for the first time ever.
County officials point out that having both agencies in one building will greatly enhance and streamline emergency responses, particularly during times of significant incidents.
The new building replaces two separate dispatch facilities used by both agencies that were outdated, undersized and inefficient for the modern needs of both departments.
“This new communications center represents the next generation of public safety for San Luis ObispoCounty,” said San Luis Obispo County Fire Department Chief John Owens said in a statement. “By bringing our fire and law enforcement dispatchers together under one roof, we’re improving how quickly and effectively we can respond when our community needs us most.”
According to a release, the new center features a 140-foot communications tower, advanced dispatch technology, and expanded capacity for future growth. Key statistics for the project include over 140 tons of steel, 150,000 feet of network cabling, more than 315,000 feet of electrical wiring, and 2,000 cubic yards of concrete.
San Luis Obispo County broke ground on the $40 million project two years ago in October 2023.
The dispatch center is now fully operational and its first official transmission was broadcast at the conclusion of the ceremony.
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