The local Michigan State Police post received a much-needed upgrade to help deal with 911 calls in the region.

The Negaunee Regional Communications Center (NRCC) celebrated its ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 11, opening up the Upper Peninsula’s most technologically advanced communication center. The NRCC serves the entirety of the Upper Peninsula as a regional command center, but also provides 911 dispatcher responsibilities for six of the 15 Upper Peninsula counties. Almost 100 different municipal and county fire departments, rescue teams and EMS groups are impacted by the upgrade.

Section Commander F/Lt. Michael Teachout said the command center will provide new capabilities in keeping the U.P. safe.

“By having the new center, we’re going to have more modern systems, more connectivity, and then that keeps everybody safe because you have faster response times, we can dispatch people more accurately and give better service to the Upper Peninsula,” said Teachout.

The large, open-space concept includes multiple locations for dispatchers to respond to calls. Below the floor is over 15 miles of Category 6 Ethernet cables, needing every inch to connect all of the dispatch stations. A large screen that can be split up hundreds of times for various camera feeds, displays the location of MSP troopers and DNR officers. A smaller map in the corner shows every active 911 call across both peninsulas of Michigan.

The center also has modern amenities like a large conference room and a relaxation room for dispatchers. MSP officials say that dispatchers only stay employed for about four years due to burnout, so including a space for those taking emergency calls was important to the MSP.

The building cost roughly $4 million, with funds coming from state 911 funds, MSP general fund and Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB).