New Madrid NEW 911 CENTER

Police and firefighters in New Madrid are getting upgrades that could help them respond to any emergency a little quicker. The new 911 center will put the fire, police and ambulance services on the same property. Police Chief Joey Higgerson says this will improve response times. The dispatch center will handle calls from all of New Madrid County except for Portageville. County commissioners had to work to find the money to build the center since 911 funding is dwindling due to fewer people using landline telephones. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the center. It should be operational in about two weeks.