Beginning Monday at approximately 12 noon, communications officers at the Alleghany E-911 Communications Center in Covington will begin answering 911 landline calls from Clifton Forge.
The county communications officers will dispatch all Clifton Forge fire, rescue, and law enforcement calls.
Ryan Muterspaugh, public safety director for Alleghany County, said the merger of the two E-911 centers comes after several months of discussion and preparation between the county and Clifton Forge. He said the merger will ultimately provide cost savings and better coordination for emergency dispatch and response.
The Clifton Forge Police Department will still handle all of its administrative calls and have an employee to handle administrative duties during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
There will be a phone located in the vestibule of the police department at town hall available for emergency use if someone needs assistance after business hours.
The Clifton Forge E-911 Center will remain fully equipped and operational in the event that it is needed as a backup for the county or Covington, Muterspaugh said.
Businesses and citizens in Clifton Forge that use a third- party security monitoring system such as ADT and Brinks must update the contact information and number on file with the companies.
The new contact number will be (540) 965-1770 at the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.
“An overall, regional merger of E-911 and dispatching services among the county, Covington, and Clifton Forge has been discussed for some time with slow progress being made. The merger of these two E-911 centers is a positive step toward overall consolidation of E-911 services within our localities,” Muterspaugh said.