San Bernardino County on Tuesday opened the Valley Communications Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance communications and coordination among public safety agencies for swifter, more effective response regionwide.
The facility covers about 75,000 square feet at 153 S. Lena Road in San Bernardino and houses the county Office of Emergency Services’ Emergency Operations Center, the Sheriff’s Department Valley Dispatch Center and dispatch operations for Consolidated Fire Agencies, or CONFIRE, officials said. The new hub for daily emergency communications also will support coordination efforts during wildfires, floods, earthquakes, severe storms and other major public safety incidents.
Construction costs totaled $125.6 million, which officials said was a major investment in public safety and emergency management. Funding for the project included $106 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, $19 million in county discretionary general funding and about $600,000 from the Office of Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Department and CONFIRE.
“The ability to have the County Office of Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Department’s dispatch center and CONFIRE dispatch operations working together under one roof is tremendous,” Board of Supervisors Chairman and 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Rowe said in a statement. “The Valley Communications Center will support faster response, more effective planning, stronger coordination and sustained operations during emergencies.”
Officials said that by centrally housing emergency management and public safety dispatch operations improves information sharing, “situational awareness” and coordination among agencies tasked with protecting residents across the county’s more than 20,000 square miles.
“San Bernardino County faces a wide range of emergencies, from floods and storms to earthquakes and wildfires,” board Vice Chair and 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said in a statement. “It’s not just about technology. It’s about giving our dispatchers, emergency management personnel and first responders the best possible environment so they can take care of our communities when it matters most.”
The heart of the new facility is a modern Emergency Operations Center where county departments, public safety agencies and civilian organizations will coordinate resources and response efforts during emergencies. The Joint Information Center at the facility allows communications teams to work alongside operational leaders to provide timely, accurate and factually consistent information to the public, according to the county.
“The Valley Communications Center represents a new chapter in how we care for one another,” District 2 Supervisor Jesse Armendarez said in a statement. “It equips us with modern systems that will turn confusion into clarity and delays into decisive action. This is a major investment in preparedness, coordination and public trust.”
Throughout the last decade, the Emergency Operations Center has activated nearly 70 times because of wildfires, intense winter storms and other public safety threats, officials reported. Lessons learned from those emergencies went into the Valley Communications Center’s design with the goal of enabling effective support for management and coordination efforts during incidents of all sizes.
“When this project began, the Board of Supervisors made a commitment to build for the future, not just for today’s needs,” District 4 Supervisor Curt Hagman said in a statement. “This facility was designed to evolve alongside emerging technology and strengthen our ability to respond to emergencies going forward.”
The Valley Communications Center also bolsters collaboration among the many agencies and organizations involved in emergency response. In addition to being a base for emergency management personnel, the facility will serve as a place for county departments to centrally coordinate with local jurisdictions, public safety agencies, state and federal partners, nonprofit organizations and trained volunteers during large-scale mobilizations.
“The Valley Communications Center is strengthening those partnerships by bringing key public safety and emergency coordination functions closer together,” Crisanta Gonzalez, director of emergency management for the Office of Emergency Services, said in a statement. “This facility provides the space, technology and coordination needed to bring partners together, share information and support a unified response.”
The sheriff’s Valley Dispatch Center will house approximately 121 dispatch workers and 58 terminals for dispatching responders and taking 911 emergency calls. Last year the Sheriff’s Department dispatchers handled more than 178,000 emergency calls and more than 560,000 calls for service across nine jurisdictions, including seven cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services.
The advanced communications technology in the sheriff’s dispatch center includes a modern Computer-Aided Dispatch, or CAD system integrated with 911 terminals, Next Generation 911, Text-to-911, live drone feeds, automated license plate readers, ShotSpotter and enhanced situational awareness systems, officials said.
“It’s important that our dispatchers have the updated work environment, technology and resources they deserve,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement. “Providing real-time information to first responders is critical during an emergency, and the capabilities housed in this center will help strengthen public safety and support the communities we serve.”
CONFIRE’s regional dispatch operations processes about 383,000 emergency calls annually and will coordinate fire and emergency medical responses for cities in the region that have a contract with the agency. The new center’s CAD system and real-time feeds from drones, wildfire cameras and traffic systems, combined with integrated medical and behavioral health professionals, will help dispatch personnel to rapidly assess incidents and direct the appropriate response to residents, officials said.
“People often see the fire engine, ambulance or law enforcement officer responding to an emergency,” CONFIRE Interim Director Nathan Cooke said in a statement. “What they do not always see are the dispatchers, communications personnel and support staff who answer the call, coordinate resources and bring order to chaotic situations in real time. That work starts here.”
Officials said the new facility is designed for continuous operations and long-term resilience, with the capability of supporting around-the-clock emergency response. The facility was built to remain operational during natural disasters and other major incidents through self-sustaining power, water and communications systems.
Features include 33 triple friction pendulum seismic isolators that allow up to 12 feet of lateral movement during a major earthquake, two 1,000-kilowatt backup generators, two 20,000-gallon on-site water storage tanks and a 192-foot communications tower. The building is LEED Gold certified and features a 700-kilowatt solar energy system.
“This facility was purpose-built to operate around the clock, every day of the year,” said Moe Yosif, county deputy executive officer and interim director of the County Projects and Facilities Management Department, said in a statement. “More than a building, the Valley Communications Center represents our commitment to protecting lives, safeguarding communities and ensuring the continuity of operations when our residents need us.”
The facility also has wellness amenities to support employees working extended shifts during emergencies, including a fitness center, locker rooms, showers, quiet rooms, lactation rooms and industrial kitchens, according to the county. Flexible workspaces and rooms for training exercises and study were designed to accommodate technology upgrades and operational needs that may arise.
County officials concluded the facility’s grand-opening ceremony with a ribbon-cutting and tours that showcased the facility’s technology and emergency response capabilities.
“By bringing together emergency management, law enforcement and fire dispatch operations in a centralized location, the Valley Communications Center will serve as a cornerstone of San Bernardino County’s emergency response network and help safeguard communities for decades to come,” county CEO Luther Snoke said in a statement.
A video about the new public safety communications hub is on the county’s YouTube account.
