By Mark Woolsey

Cobb County commissioners this week took a significant step toward the construction of a new 911 communications center.

The Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to spend more than $1.5 million to purchase about 12.50 acres for the new center, which will facilitate communication involving first responders, police dispatchers and the public. The current 911 operation is on North Marietta Parkway, while the new center is planned for 5245 Macland Road in West Cobb.

County officials concluded after a detailed review that the current 911 center is inadequate to the task, lacking sufficient space, system redundancy and the physical security needed to operate effectively in the face of any and all hazards.

Officials say the new facility would be physically “hardened” against such potential emergencies as severe weather and “infrastructure disruptions” and would accommodate such technology upgrades as a Next Generation 911 system and integrated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and GIS systems.

The total cost of the project has been estimated at some $14 million, according to 2022 SPLPOST documentation. No word was given on a construction timetable.