By Tori Bedsole

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch center received a $28,000 upgrade, which was completed last week.

The upgrade included a room expansion and updated furniture. Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said $25,000 went to updating furniture in the center.

The expansion is part of six updates funded through E911, said Nick Beasley, executive director. Flomaton also received a $31,000 furniture upgrade.

The dispatches now have customizable, ergonomic desks that can be raised and lowered for each individual’s preference.

“We are so grateful and appreciative to the E911 board for recognizing the need for the expansion,” Lambert said. “We want to thank the taxpayers and show them that we are being good stewards of the money for the resources available.”

In 2016, the Escambia County sheriff’s office received almost 33,000 calls for service, which Lambert said is a lot for the population. He attributes the number to calls from people traveling to Pensacola and Gulf Shores through the county.

“This expansion brought us out of the dinosaur age and into the modern age,” said Tamara Lovelace, the dispatch supervisor. “The new setup has given us more room and space for storing everything.”