Harris County leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Harris County 911 Emergency Call Center in East Aldine last Friday, April 26. The 42,000-square-foot facility is a major upgrade from the current call center operation that has been victimized by repeated flooding, most recently during Hurricane Harvey. The new Harris County 911 Emergency Call Center is part of the 60-acre East Aldine District Town Center. The elevated building is designed to operate before, during and after a Category 4 Hurricane with winds up to 155 mph.
During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Sheriff’s Office call takers were forced to evacuate the current downtown location after storm waters overwhelmed Buffalo Bayou and flooded the call center. The call takers then spent many post-hurricane weeks working out of the Greater Harris County 911 building in northwest Harris County.
The new call center boasts a main floor with 72 call-taker consoles and 3 backup generators, one of which has enough fuel capacity to run the building on full power for 6 days. It includes staff sleeping quarters and laundry facilities. The operation is set to begin fielding calls next week.
