To better respond to emergencies in a post-9/11 world, Louisville is investing in a $70 million-plus, state-of-the-art emergency communications network known as MetroSafe. This system will connect thousands of emergency responders throughout the region. The first phase is complete, and work will begin soon on the eventual nerve center - to be housed in the former financial fortress, the recently vacated U.S. Federal Reserve Building.
For the first time ever, MetroSafe will link communications for 911, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Louisville Fire Department, Suburban Fire Districts, Local Government Radio, and Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services. In addition, MetroSafe will offer enhanced communication for all of the remaining 911 public safety answering points, or physical locations where 911 calls are received: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, suburban city agencies within Louisville Metro and the 13 counties surrounding Jefferson county.
MetroSafe Update
The MetroSafe project is being completed in 3 phases:
- Combine all public safety communications into one facility (Completed)
- Implement new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system (Summer 2006)
- Remediation of permanent MetroSafe facility and migration of operations (Spring 2007)
Current major milestones include:
- Build a facility to consolidate public safety communications (Completed)
- Create interoperability at the console level by use of Motorola Motobridge and new radio consoles in Fall 2005 (Completed)
- Co-locate existing technologies (CAD and 911 systems) in Fall 2005 (Completed)
Future major milestones include:
- Facility remediation (410 South Fifth Street - former Federal Reserve Bank Building)
- New Radio Infrastructure implementation
- Implementation of new 911 voice infrastructure
- Implementation of new information technology infrastructure
- Implementation of new public safety Wireless technology infrastructure
- Migration of existing operations to permanent facility
- Ongoing testing and maintenance of fail over facility
