ST. LOUIS — The groundbreaking for a $45 million 911 dispatch center in St. Louis City took place Thursday where officials discussed the benefits of the anticipated state-of-the-art facility.

What You Need To Know

  • The new center, known as the Public Safety Access Point, is expected to help improve emergency call response times as dispatchers for police, fire and EMS will be located under one roof

  • Thanks to increased hiring and pay, the city now responds to approximately 75% of 911 calls within 10 seconds, which is an increase from last year of less than 60%

  • The building additionally will be able to stand up against tornados, earthquakes and other severe weather. It also will house the City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA)

  • The approximately $10 million in remaining ARPA funds will be reappropriated to the 911 dispatch center. An ARPA appropriation bill will be introduced to the St. Louis Board of Alderman next week

The new center, known as the Public Safety Access Point, is expected to help improve emergency call response times as dispatchers for police, fire and EMS will be located under one roof. The facility will be located at 2741 Thomas Street.

The 911 dispatchers will be the first point of contact for all emergencies, said Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson. They will be trained to handle calls for all emergency departments, using modern technology.

“This new 911 communications center will allow the city of St. Louis to use the newest technology to provide for the safety of the citizens who live and visit our great city,” he said.

“It will provide a stable and distraction free environment to monitor, assess and provide coordinated, rapid and effective responses from the police, fire and EMS departments.”

Some dispatch services are already housed under one roof as EMS and police dispatchers have shared a physical location since last year.  

The national standard for 911 calls is for dispatchers to answer 90% of those calls within the first 10 seconds. Mayor Tishaura Jones said a little more than half of the city’s 911 calls were answered within 10 seconds two years ago.

“We have to improve that,” Jones said.

Thanks to increased hiring and pay, the city now responds to approximately 75% of 911 calls within 10 seconds, which is an increase from last year of less than 60%, according to Jones.

“We must continue improving and this center will help us do that,” she said.

Bringing the new 911 dispatch center to St. Louis is “one of the best things we can do to protect our city and our residents,” said Charles Coyle Sr., interim director of the St. Louis Department of Public Safety.

“As a first responder for over four decades, let me say to you, this is a big deal.”

Jenkerson said this facility has been 18 years in the making.

“To say that the St. Louis Fire Department is excited for today is a big understatement. It’s a tremendous understatement,” he said.

“I appreciate all of the members of the fire department who had the foresight to look forward and really look at what we need for public safety.”

The building additionally will be able to stand up against tornados, earthquakes and other severe weather. It also will house the City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA).

“The first responders located here will stand ready to assist St. Louisans, no matter what our city is going through,” Jones said.

There also are plans to build a child care facility next to the dispatch center. Funding for the new 911 dispatch center will come from the state and ARPA.  

Other officials who spoke were Police Chief Robert Tracy, Commissioner of CEMA Sarah Russell and Rep. Del Taylor.

During Thursday’s groundbreaking, Jones announced that the approximately $10 million in remaining ARPA funds will be reappropriated to the 911 dispatch center. An ARPA appropriation bill will be introduced to the St. Louis Board of Alderman next week.