WilCo officially opens new Emergency Services Operations Center

Before the center opened, 911 dispatchers operated in less than 2,000 square feet of space in the sheriff's office, Sneed said.

"We were stretched to the limit," he said. "The previous [commissioners] court [issued] a certificate of obligation in 2006 to fund the project."

Construction on the $12 million building began in January 2012 and was completed in August this year, Sneed said.

"It was a huge collaboration of departments," he said. "I'm very proud of what we achieved as a group."

Features of the new operations center include a "hardened" design that will allow it to withstand 150 mile-per-hour winds, raised floors in certain areas to hide wiring, and rooms with dual functions, such as conference areas that can be used as temporary offices during long-lasting emergency situations, such as floods.

In addition to dual-use areas, the facility was also built to be able to expand, Sneed said.

The communications floor, for example, currently holds 21 dispatchers, but could be reconfigured to hold up to 31 as the county continues to grow, he said.

"We have designs to take this building out to 50,000 square feet," Sneed said.