New public safety complex in Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- It's a new day for police officers, firefighters and EMS workers in Hartford, who are now working out of a brand new public safety complex.

Officials say the multi-million dollar facility that was years in the making will be also help re-vitalize the north end of the city.

Today the media along with many of the state and local politicians who helped make it all possible got a tour of the brand new facility on High Street.

The 150-thousand square foot complex is state of the art all the way and now for the first time in city history police, fire and EMS are all under the same roof.

City leaders say the complex will make it possible for all emergency services to operate more efficientally.

"Through Harford's investment in our public safety departments, we are able to centralize our administrative and uniformed support staff that will lead to enhanced service delivery to all who live and work in the city of Hartford," said Chief Edwin Casares Jr. of the Hartford Fire Dept.

The complex features among other things a new dispatch center, a 3-1-1 call center, workout facilities for employees and holding cells.

The building is located on High Street in an area considered to be the border of downtown and the city's North End.

"We're hoping as we make more efforts to develop North Hartford and this is north of 84. We hope we can leverage this facility to make sure one of our neediest communities continues to grow and prosper," said Hartford's Mayor Pedro Segarra.

Making all this possible was a struggle. The project, according to city hall, has been in the works since the late 1990's.

The cost of it, 77 million dollars, was the result of both state and federal funding.

"That means that the people here in city of Hartford who wrote the grants got behind the concept, demonstrating what a co-ordinated effort could be," said Democratic Congressman John Larson.

Although most of the police operations are now coming out of that new facility, patrol operations, bookings and detention will stay at the old Jennings Road facility.