New Admin Building

[TechnoDave]

The Mayor and Chief are looking into getting a new admin building. The newspaper reports they might be looking at the compass building at 7th and 32nd south. There has also been talk about moving communications to a new location too whereas to have enough room for the co-habitant dispatch of several agencies. I dont know if communications is included in the admin move or not. But we sure do need more room ...even just for us, much less more people.

Thoughts?

 

[EMS-1]

The way old "Happy-go-Larry" money man is throwing the city's money at any and everything that suits his fancy whether it be a good idea or not it would be a surprise if he has any left over for that or any worthwhile project. The old "dispatch consolidation" thing was discussed when I was at Fire Alarm too but remember that was waaay over 10 years ago and never came to pass as it very well may never.

 

[TechnoDave]

I understand about the 10 yr thing. I really dont expect that to happen honestly.

On the building... Fox6 reports the city is looking at the old AMSOUTH operations center, not the Compass bank. (Compass is still occupied) I drove by Amsouth the other day and while the building looks very nice, the neighborhood....well... ugh. If you have GoogleEarth, take a gander at 700 39th St N. There are railroad tracks, junkyards and tanks of who knows what just yards away from the building.
I have a feeling that since the Mayor has promised the Chief the tools to work with... and this is the first BIGGIE he has asked for, it probably wont be long before it happens.

 

[EMS-1]

Now The Amsouth-Harbert Tower, you know the big beautiful skyscraper downtown would really be the cat's meow! instead of the old worn out bank building in ghettoville. But if anything thats probably what old Lair-Lair will choose.

 

[dave911]

I heard Langford was in talks to move the Admin building but I didn't know that was where he was talking about. I don't know if that is a good idea or not. The glaring problem is the gas transfer station in your back yard. I don't know if that's Natural Gas or what but that looks like a threat. The second problem is parking... not enough of it.

I ran a few calls there in the 90's. I remember it as being a nice building in a torn up neighborhood. Kinda stood out. It was very secure, though. Guess that's one plus already built in for you guys. At least the crime in Kingston should go down some.

From what I've heard, the consolidated dispatch center is very much a go. I was talking to an "over the mountain" fire department two weeks ago and they told me they weren't upgrading their radios because they were a part of the new consolidation. It could still fall apart, I guess, but several cities have signed on. According to the Birmingham News, the governments that have signed letters of intent are Adamsville, Birmingham, Bessemer, Center Point Fire District, Gardendale, Hueytown, Irondale, Kimberly, Leeds, Mountain Brook, Sylvan Springs, Tarrant, Trussville, Vestavia Hills, Warrior and Jefferson County.

 

[TechnoDave]

I wonder just how many of the dispatchers from those agencies far away.... lets say Sylvan Springs for example, are really gonna wanna drive that far to get to work? I know if they moved us to Sylvan Springs it certainly would irritate me. And how about those Vestavia folks??? Have they ever even seen the ghetto??? LOL. They will want police escorts just to get them to work.

 

[dave911]

I agree with what you're saying about driving a long way to work. As for the location, the center is supposed to be right off I-459 in Vestavia. I guess the Vestavia folks won't mind too much. Or were you referring to the people who work with you who live in Vestavia?

 

[TechnoDave]

The building right off 459 is a no-go. They were thinking about the federal reserve building, but from my understanding the owners (US Govt??) were only willing to sign a yearly lease. A yearly lease is kinda scary if you are going to build a communications center and all of its related equipment.... just to be tossed out in a year or so.

Vestavia folks: No, I was talking about if the co-habitant center was built in the Amsouth building.

 

[EMS-1]

Sylvan Springs and a great deal of those smaller Fire Departments are dispatched by AMR and a few by Rural-Metro. Can you imagine what a cluster**** that would be with the Ambulance/Vfd dispatch in the same bldg. with everybody else in the county?. Most of their dispatchers couldn't pour P*ss out of a boot with instructions on the heel . Also Bessemer is still talking about building a free standing communications center for PD and FD near the new courthouse bldg.that is under construction.

 

[dave911]

Thanks Dave! I didn't know that.

Hey Carl... are they moving the PD from 1st & 15th also?

 

[EMS-1]

I think the Communications only. PD will probably stay in the old rat hole on 15th.