WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Communities west of Cleveland will benefit from a new emergency call center that officials say is sure to save lives.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday for the Westshore Central Dispatch Center in Westlake, although it has been operating since March 13.

The center is located on the campus of St. John Westshore Hospital and was made possible through a $566,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Previously, 911 calls from Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River and Fairview Park were routed to an out-of-state computer. The computer routed calls to the police department closest to the callers.

Now, trained dispatchers at the center will answer 911 calls, reducing response time and giving life-saving information.

"It makes a difference in that if someone is unconscious or in full arrest, we can start CPR until the rescue squad gets there. Our rescue squad is pretty good with getting there under five minutes, but still, in an emergency, two minutes seems like a year," said dispatch supervisor Nick Pishery.

The center will be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other cities that may become linked to the system include North Olmsted, Avon, Avon Lake and North Ridgeville.