A new study recommends that a shared emergency 911 communication center be created and used in Montgomery County and Radford.

The center could be shared by agencies in Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, Radford University and Virginia Tech, according to the study's findings. Currently, all six entities have separate dispatch centers and radio systems.

An $85,000 grant by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency funded a study to determine whether it is feasible to create such a regional 911 center. AECOM Design/CTA Communications conducted the study.

The localities have been exploring the concept of sharing their public safety dispatch centers for 20 years, but the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech shootings "illuminated the challenges of interagency communications and brought about a new resolve to explore the feasibility of consolidating two or more of the dispatch centers in the region," according to the study.

The study found that "bringing the existing dispatch centers into the same room will result in significant enhancements to the interagency coordination that is required when more than one agency is responding to an emergency."

Also, the emergency communications center provides coordination with other agencies and responders, according to the study.

The next step with the idea is a request for proposals for a consultant to work on behalf of the working group for the emergency communications center. The county, towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg and Virginia Tech have joined together to establish a working group to study the center proposal.

The requests for proposals are due Aug. 19, said Ruth Richey, Montgomery County's spokeswoman.

The consultant will be asked to prepare a strategic plan, which will incorporate the feasibility study's recommendations. The strategic plan will recommend how to establish a 911 authority and how to determine the operating needs and capital equipment necessary for the venture.

The feasibility study will also be the focus of an Aug. 17 joint meeting of representatives from Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Virginia Tech and the county's board of supervisors at the County Government Center.