HAUPPAUGE - Suffolk Executive Steven Levy Monday announced plans to construct a back up emergency communications response station for the county at the former Sixth Precinct building in Coram.

The initiative will transform the vacant basement area of the building which was previously home to the Suffolk County Police Department’s Sixth Precinct into a permanent back up command center that can be used to reach all of the 62 fire-rescue command centers in Suffolk County.

The communications facility will include 12 dispatch stations and 14 radio areas, along with computer stations with complete access the county’s system. The top floor of this facility, located on Middle Country Road in Coram, is currently being used by Suffolk’s Department of Probation.

“This measure is vital for the safety and security of our county in the event of an emergency or natural disaster,” Levy said. “If our primary command center were to suffer failure for any reason we could divert our emergency dispatchers to the facility in Coram.”

Levy also noted the county could also split dispatch forces and have both stations manned if dictated by certain conditions.

The total cost of the project will be $2.175 million, which includes $1.225 million for new equipment. Renovation of the facility will likely begin in the spring of 2009 and it will be opened prior to the 2009 peak hurricane season for Long Island.