A new three-story, 75,000-square-foot facility designed to function as a state-of-the-art communications hub for sheriff’s officials, firefighters and other emergency responders in San Bernardino County, marked its grand opening last week.
Officials gathered to cut the ribbon of the San Bernardino County Valley Communications Center in San Bernardino on Tuesday, June 2.
The 75,000-square-foot facility brings the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services’ Emergency Operations Center, the Sheriff’s Department’s Valley Dispatch Center and Consolidated Fire Agencies, or CONFIRE, dispatch operations under one roof.
“[It] will serve as a hub for daily emergency communications while supporting large-scale incident management efforts during wildfires, floods, earthquakes, severe storms and other major incidents,” county officials said in a written statement.
The “state-of-the-art” complex is designed to “strengthen emergency communications, enhance coordination among public safety agencies and support faster, more effective emergency response throughout the region.”
The capabilities enabled by having the various emergency services working together on one site are “tremendous,” San Bernardino County Chair and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe said.
“The Valley Communications Center will support faster response, more effective planning, stronger coordination and sustained operations during emergencies,” she said.
The $125.6 million facility included $106 million in funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, $19 million in county discretionary general funding and roughly $600,000 participating agencies, including the County Office of Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Department and CONFIRE, officials said.
Crews first broke ground on the Valley Communications Center in March 2024.
911 dispatch
A primary day-to-day function of the Valley Communications Center will be taking and dispatching 911 calls.
The sheriff’s department component will house more than 120 dispatch personnel, as well as 58 dispatch terminals, according to the county.
The agency handled more than 178,000 emergency 911 calls, along with another 560,000 calls for service, across its expansive jurisdiction in 2025.
Advanced technology incorporated into the sheriff’s dispatch center includes modern computer systems, advanced 911 features such as Text-to-911, live drone feeds and access to information from license plate readers and ShotSpotter systems.
Sheriff Shannon Dicus said the new facility will help deputies better serve the public.
“It’s important that our dispatchers have the updated work environment, technology and resources they deserve,” he said. “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 dispatchers handle more than 380,000 911 calls each year, authorities said.
“People often see the fire engine, ambulance or law enforcement officer responding to an emergency,” Interim CONFIRE Director Nathan Cooke said. “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.”
Emergency response
In addition to daily emergency services, the Valley Communications Center is poised to serve as a center of operations in the case of natural disaster or other major catastrophe, county officials said.
Officials have activated the county’s Emergency Operations Center nearly 70 times over the past decade, in response to disasters including wildfires, major storms and other sifgnicant incidents.
“Drawing on lessons learned from those incidents, the Valley Communications Center has been designed to support emergency management operations and coordination efforts during incidents of all sizes,” according to the county statement. “The facility will serve as a central coordination center for county departments, local jurisdictions, public safety agencies, state and federal partners, nonprofit organizations and trained volunteers during large-scale activations.”
Built to withstand disaster
The new Valley Communications Center was designed to survive and continue operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week for extended periods of time during a disaster.
“The facility was built to remain operational during natural disasters and other major incidents through self-sustaining power, water and communications systems,” county officials stated.
Features include 33 seismic isolators to withstand earthquakes, as well as two 1,000-kilowatt backup generators, a 700-kilowatt solar system, two 20,000-gallon water storage tanks and a nearly-200-foot-tall communications antenna.
County Deputy CEO Moe Yousif said the construction amounted to “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,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: New $125M San Bernardino County emergency communications center opens
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
