Media Alert
September 15, 2016
Contacts: Heather Cassaro, City of Redmond Communications Manager, 541-504-3031
Kassidy Kern, Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs, 541-383-5517
On Monday, September 19, 2016 the City of Redmond, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry will host a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center (COIDC) with the contractor for the project, Griffin Construction.
The event will be held at 2 p.m. at the building site, which is located adjacent to Redmond Air Center, 1740 SE Ochoco Way, in Redmond. The event will include brief remarks from the City of Redmond, the land management agencies and Griffin Construction followed by the ceremonial breaking of the ground at the site. The building is expected to be completed by next May. Griffin Construction operates out of Prineville, Oregon.
Background
The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center (COIDC) provides dispatch support and coordination for all-risk incidents for the Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM Prineville District, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland.
Currently these dispatch services are located at the Prineville Airport. The move of COIDC from the Prineville Airport to the Redmond Air Center will improve the efficiency and safety of fire mobilization operations.
Dispatchers will be able to see the equipment, airplanes and helicopters they are dispatching and pilots will have greater accessibility to the dispatchers. In addition, the expanded facilities will allow more people to work within the dispatch center during the height of the fire season.
Currently, eight employees work year-round at the facility, but during the summer approximately 30 people operate out of COIDC with an additional 25 to 30 employees working out of other offices to meet the logistical needs of fire crews, smokejumpers, helicopters, air tankers, water tenders, engines and fire teams.