Clay County selected ADG to design a combined emergency operations center and fire-rescue communications / dispatch center in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The Clay County Emergency Services Complex was designed based on the enhanced hurricane and redundancy criteria of the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The facility is two stories in height and utilized a concrete tilt-wall structure. Housed in the facility is the emergency management-related departments and communications and dispatch-related space which houses 12 call-taker positions.
The building was designed to withstand winds of up to 160 MPH as well as an impact level equal to tornado-force projectiles. Redundancy for water, sanitary, electrical power, UPS, IT data, and communications systems allow operations without any outside utility service for 72 hours and beyond for 171 occupants. The facility has two sets of technological support spaces servicing the communications and EOC departments. These spaces were designed to be on 100% battery back-up as well as on an emergency generator in case of electrical utility failure. The building was organized to allow future expansion to consolidate the fire-rescue communications with the sheriff’s communications departments which will allow all county emergency communications to be housed in a single, hardened facility. Until consolidation occurs, this facility will serve as the back-up system to the sheriff’s communications department.
