COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (WOWO): The public will get a chance to tour Columbia City’s new Dispatch Center next week.

Public tours will be held at City Hall on Chauncey Street next Tuesday, August 6th, from 5pm to 7pm.

Residents will get to see how the City’s dispatch center operations will function and how new technology is being used to make for quicker response times and more effective public safety services.

“This is an opportunity for our residents to see how a dispatch center functions, while showing them where their public safety dollars are going,” said Police Chief Scott Leatherman. “Because Dispatch Centers are highly regulated on who can enter when it is fully operating, residents will get a rare view into the operations on the other side of the phone call.”

The current Dispatch operations will move to the new $1.6-million Dispatch Center the following day.

“We are so excited to move into our new home,” said Communications Supervisor Amie LaRue. “It really will be a tremendous improvement to our residents and businesses as we leap ahead thirty years in equipment and capabilities.”