County Purchases Property For Emergency Operations Center

police9-154
police9-154

Berrien County has completed its purchase of a building in Buchanan from American Electric Power, the owner of Indiana Michigan Power. County Administrator Brian Dissette in July told the Berrien County Board of Commissioners AEP could sell the facility at 500 Circle Drive to the county for $200,000. He told commissioners last week the final papers have all been signed. Dissette tells us the county wants to use the building for emergency operations.

“We will be constructing a new 800 megahertz radio tower,” Dissette said. “That tower will boost signal strength across the southern portion of the county. In addition to the property, we’ve acquired a three story building that over the coming years we hope to transition out EOC – our Emergency Operations Center – and our 911 emergency dispatch into that building.”

Dissette told commissioners the first priority is to build that 911 dispatch tower, and the county is working to get the special use permit from the city of Buchanan. It’s also seeking to have the city annex a few bits of the property not currently incorporated. Eventually, 911 dispatch could be located at the new building, which Dissette called “future proof.” He said the facility was built for 400 workers, although AEP only has about six there now. The county will lease space to the utility at the building so staff related to the Cook nuclear power plant will be working in the same place as the county emergency management staff. The county could also lease space to the city of Buchanan.