NORWICH – Recently, the heart of the Chenango County's police, fire and emergency operations underwent a much needed transplant that most community members will never have the opportunity to see.

But while ignorance is bliss on the user-end of the 911 dispatch center, keeping the facility updated and running smoothly is a necessity.

That said, the Sheriff’s Office Communications Division recently underwent a significant renovation, boosting technology to aid first responders and callers to the 911 center.

“It's come a long way from what is was like 20 years ago,” said County Chief Dispatcher A. Jones on a recent tour of the updated facility. “Back then, we sat shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight radio room with very basic technology.”

In 1997 – just a few years after Jones came aboard – the county received “new” consoles, handed down from Tioga County that remained in operation until the Sheriff's Offices were relocated out of the City of Norwich.

But those days are long gone.

The current footprint of the 911 call center and county dispatch was designed from the ground up and was state of the art back in 2006 when the Public Safety Building went online. But that was nearly a decade ago, and the pace of technology has since surpassed what was put in place at that ribbon cutting.