When Chris Freeman, Director of Marshall County E-911, was first planning the county's new emergency communications center, his goal was clear: to create a dynamic space that can change and grow with the community while also serving surrounding towns and counties as a Regionalized Communications Center.
Marshall County E-911, located in Benton, Kentucky, serves as the hub of emergency response in the county. The center dispatches for nine fire departments, three police agencies, Emergency Management, Rescue, EMS, Animal Control, Marshall County First Responders, Red Cross, and CIMAP.
Marshall County E-911 serves a growing population of 30,000, fluctuating to 34,000 from tourism in the summer months. Thousands of people travel to the area in summer drawn by many activities including boating and fishing. Due to this influx in population and the need to serve the existing residents, it was crucial for the center to be able to handle any type of emergency, and if needed, several at once.
Learn how Evans and Marshall County E-911 came together to design, build, and install this new Emergency Communications Center. This case study includes testimonials from Marshall County E-911 Director Chris Freeman and Evans Regional Sales Manager Brian Fitzpatrick.
Chris Freeman heard about Evans and decided to contact Brian Fitzpatrick for a tour of the Vienna Experience Center to get a first-hand look at what Evans could do for Marshall County. Impressed with what he saw, Chris engaged Brian for his expertise in designing the dispatch room at the new Marshall County E-911 location.
Chris also wanted to ensure that other counties can rely on his center in the event of a natural disaster or cases of extreme emergency. The new center has the space to accommodate larger groups for Emergency Operations readiness and response should an extreme emergency ever happen.
The Strategy Air consoles allowed for the most efficient use of space, allowing for 6 telecommunicator positions, as well as a supervisor console at the back of the room. Chris was able to customize the Strategy Air consoles to his liking, adding blue accents throughout the console to complement the room colors.
Acoustical treatments throughout this space make for a quieter and less distracting environment for telecommunications. With acoustic panels strategically placed throughout the room, it prevents noise from echoing. This is especially needed if the room is working at full capacity allowing operators to focus on their jobs. You can see in the following renders how the sound would bounce throughout the room, the second photo below shows how the acoustic panels were installed:
Once the design was finalized, the Evans production team got to work. Each console is made from the ground up, checked, measured, and looked over after every stage. For Marshall County, we wanted to ensure the consoles were built to the drawings accurately to the client's approved design.
Once the consoles were built, we went into staging. We stage every project as part of our promise for quality and accuracy commitments to our clients, and the consoles for Marshall County were no exception. We staged the consoles on our manufacturing floor to make sure there were no defects in the manufacturing process. It was also a chance for us to see the console in action! The quality check is an integral part of the Evans process. View our staging and shipping photos:
Installation went smoothly, and we were so excited to see these consoles in place. With the raised flooring and grey patterned carpet tile, and the beautiful blue accent theme throughout the consoles, this room really came together wonderfully. Combined with the black millwork, this room provides a unique and sleek look. Chris was there with us during installation and was able to oversee everything as we put the room together.
Chris was completely satisfied with the attention to detail, from the construction build to the integration of technology within the consoles. Installation went well, screens not installed just yet:
With the new build of the Marshall County E-911 Center, Chris Freeman has a lot more authority and freedom to make the 911 experience in Kentucky more standardized and accessible. With the new center, Chris is able to host other smaller counties in order to provide a better response in cases of emergency. With the added positions, and more operators working simultaneously, he is able to better serve the needs of the region. Regionalization of smaller counties into larger, more equipped PSAPs, will help improve emergency response in Kentucky.
Chris Freeman spoke with Evans about the new center and how 911 emergency response will be changing in the region. This communications center was set up for regionalization which is a big win for the county and improves how they collaborate with others in the state of Kentucky.
This video case study covers 8 sections from the benefits of regionalization to why Chris chose to work with Evans. Watch here:
Evans Subject-matter Experts are unmatched in their expertise in control room design. Brian Fitzpatrick worked with Chris Freeman closely to ensure all of Chris' ideas were implemented in the final design with care.
Watch the video below to learn more about Evans' process and how we helped Chris achieve his vision in the Marshall County Emergency Communications Center.
This Evans project came together beautifully. We could not be happier to see this project to the end! The pop of color in every console, along with the custom acrylic panels, really brings this room to life. Huge thank you to Chris Freeman and the Marshall County KY E-911 team for trusting us in building this room for you!
Check out the final pictures of the center:
Thank you for reading about Marshall County and how we helped them design their dream control room. If you would like Evans to assist you in your next project, contact us. Our team of experts is always ready to help guide you on your control room design and build. Let us make the complex, simple.
View all of our Case Studies or read about the Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center by clicking the image below. Thanks for visiting Evans Consoles and have a great day!