FARMINGTON — While the walls are up and painted in the new Franklin County dispatch building, dispatchers may not be in their new digs until late fall or winter, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. told commissioners Tuesday.

The reason is the new generation of 911 emergency equipment is not expected to be installed until late this year.

Dispatchers had anticipated moving across County Way from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department building to their new headquarters in June or July. The $600,000 building is under construction.

The decision to delay the move came after consulting with engineers, representatives of FairPoint Communications and vendor support among others, Nichols said.

If the current equipment is moved it could be damaged in transit, he said. Parts are difficult to find and vendors are reluctant to move it, he said. That would mean the dispatch center would not be able to handle 911 calls if something happens to the current system.

The cost to move the old equipment or dig a trench to run lines underground from the current building to the new center are estimated at $25,000 to $30,000, or possibly more, depending on the option selected.

Though dispatchers are disappointed it also gives the county some breathing room so that everything is not done in a rush, he said.

Options are also being explored on the communications tower and its set-up.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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