NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The town of New Paltz will soon become home to a new, state-of-the-art emergency communications center. Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger announced the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded the county a $2 million Clean Energy Grant to bring the project to fruition. 

“Our existing facilities are way undersized," Metzger said. "They are vulnerable to power outages, especially in the age of climate change.”

Once complete, Metzger said the 15,650-square-foot facility will be equipped with geothermal heating and cooling capabilities, an initiative that's a top priority for the Metzger administration.

“The more efficient your building is, the more efficient your energy system is and the more taxpayer money you are going to save for the long-term," Metzger said.

The emergency communications center will be located at the end of Paradies Lane in New Paltz.

Ulster County Director of Emergency Services Everette Erichsen said given the high volume of phone calls, the new building will act as a central nervous system for emergency response.

“Our dispatchers are trained to provide CPR over the phone," Erichsen said. "They’ve been given instructions on childbirth over the phone (and much more).”

Once construction is complete, Erichsen said he is looking forward to the county's 911 center and the emergency operations center to operate under one roof.

“We’re looking at about 20 people on a daily basis," Erichsen said. "And then, with the emergency operations center, that has the ability to staff another 36 people.”

While bid documents are being reviewed to construct the site, Metzger announced construction is set to begin in the late spring. It's expected to take 18-24 months to build.