The county had a grand opening on Thursday. The new facility is located at East Liberty Street in Mexico. It opened the new building to the public at 5:00 p.m. The county also had a ribbon cutting ceremony. More than 50 people visited the new facility and said they liked it.

"Our family had occasion to need emergency response in the past. So, we know that this is very important to have the best facility as you can have to serve the community," Mexico resident Jacqueline Barker said.

The old dispatch center shared a building with the Audrain County Sheriff. There was not enough space between dispatchers. The dispatchers could hear each others' calls while they were on different lines.

"We've got one person is working with the fire department. Another person is working with an ambulance," Chairman of Audrain County Emergency Services Board Cliff Gromauer said of the past cramped working conditions.

The new building is about 4,500 square feet, which gives dispatchers more work space. There is a 163-foot-tall radio tower that delivers clear communication with a fast response time.

The residents of Audrain County approved the funding for the construction four years ago. The money came from increased sales tax. The costs of the construction was a little more than $1,000,000. It came out right on budget since the project was a fixed-bid construction job.

The dispatchers will start working at the new facility on October 15.