Durham County commissioners voted Monday to advance more than $55 million for a new emergency operations center and consolidated backup 911 call center, moving the county's dispatch and crisis-response infrastructure out of a building constructed in the 1940s. The project includes a $48.9 million capital appropriation for the $55.2 million facility, with as much as $45.4 million earmarked directly for construction and another $3.5 million set aside for furniture, specialized technology, and inspections.
As reported by CBS 17, Durham County Emergency Services currently operates out of a building constructed in the 1940s, and county officials said the existing structure was never intended to support modern critical emergency management functions. Durham County Commissioner Elizabeth Schroeder said the need for a purpose-built facility has long been clear, and that the new project addresses site constraints and funding challenges by maximizing space, enhancing operational efficiency, and building flexibility into the design. Commissioner Nida Allam said the design, land, and other pieces of the project had been in motion for years before Monday's vote.
A Converted Youth Home Reaches Its Limit
The current Emergency Operations Center at 2422 Broad Street originally opened in the 1940s as the Durham County Youth Home before it was repurposed decades later for emergency management operations, according to Durham County Government records. The new 41,000-square-foot facility will rise on a parcel next to the active Durham County Youth Home detention center, according to a document from the Highland Roofing Company, a proximity that requires heightened site security and construction logistics. The current facility will remain open throughout construction, per CBS 17's reporting on the county vote, and will be demolished only after the new center is finished, clearing space for parking and other site features.
Planning for the Broad Street replacement had been underway before Monday's construction vote.
Splitting the Bill Between City and County
Durham County is allocating nearly $26 million to the project, while the City of Durham is responsible for more than $29 million of the total budget, per CBS 17. The two governments are sharing the project's costs under a joint interlocal agreement.
The project timeline extends to spring 2028, when the new Broad Street facility is expected to be complete. Durham City Council still needs to approve a joint use and interlocal agreement as part of finalizing the arrangement.
One Roof for Scattered Dispatch Operations
Durham currently operates two separate 911 call center facilities and two backup 911 call centers, and the city and county plan to consolidate those into the new Broad Street site, according to CBS 17. The new center will house a backup 911 call center along with a backup Durham County Sheriff's Office emergency call center, serving as a centralized point of service for both city and county residents. Schroeder said co-locating the EOC with the backup call centers will streamline communications and strengthen the emergency response system overall.
The project budget covers facility design, construction, furniture, equipment, and technology acquisitions, and Schroeder said the new EOC will provide a dedicated, modern space for coordination, collaboration, and training with partner agencies. Officials expect the facility to expand the county's ability to gather and analyze information quickly, and to improve situational awareness and emergency decision-making during crises. The building is expected to serve Durham for roughly five decades once it opens.
The Volume Behind the Vote
The stakes behind the upgrade are measurable in call volume. The Durham Emergency Communications Center processed 23,219 emergency 911 calls in August 2026, with more than 89% answered within 10 seconds, according to City of Durham data. Durham County Emergency Medical Services responds to more than 58,000 calls annually, and medical emergencies make up over 65% of all calls answered by the Durham Fire Department, per Durham County Government.
The dispatch center handles emergency calls as part of Durham's broader emergency response system.
