County officials show off new emergency center
Putnam County's new Emergency Operations Center hosted an open house this week with a flag raising ceremony and tours.
Local dignitaries and Senators Connie Lawson and Amos Thomas who were instrumental in helping to attain funding for the project attended the event.
More than 60 people attended the invitation only ribbon cutting at the new center including numerous contractors and emergency management staff.
"All kinds of people were here from contractors to big wings. It is a great joy, given the current climate of the economy to have so many different people come together for a common goal for the common good," said EOC Manager Dave Costin.
Putnam County Planner and Emergency Management Director Kim Hyten and Costin went to Senator Connie Lawson several years ago with the blessing of the county commissioners, requesting a change in the law to allow Putnam County to use funds from the State's Hazardous Waste Fund to finance the center.
Putnam County has one of only two hazardous waste sites in Indiana. It is located on S.R. 236 in Russell Township.
The two testified in front of both the Indiana Senate and Congress relaying the reasons for building the 911 center which is years ahead of its counterparts, and for using the money from the hazardous waste fund to finance it.
For every ton of waste deposited in the site, the state gets 75 percent of the $11.50 per ton fee. Putnam County gets the other 25 percent ($1.50).
"The county received $1.2 million one year and averages about $1 million a year generally," said Costin.
The monies from this fund cannot legally be used for any other projects such as roads, property taxes or other issues. This means Putnam County residents are not paying for the facility.
In addition to housing the county's 911 center, the new facility will house the command center for emergencies like tornadoes, flooding or other disasters. It will be used for all types of emergency training and it has a generator that will keep the 911 Center and the County Highway Department up and running in a disaster.
It includes a training room with five 74-inch flat screen televisions, a smart board, projection capabilities, computer ports and a projection screen,
"The tower is twice the strength of the old one. The entire center has been designed to grow with the county and should fit the needs of the area for the next 50 years," said Hyten.