The new two-story, 43,597-SF facility consolidates Horry County Emergency Management, E-911 Communications, and the Horry County Public Safety Department. The building is designed to maximize operational efficiencies between the departments while maximizing daylighting and reducing stress during critical events and activation of the EOC. All of this is incorporated into the design along with stringent hardening requirements consisting of being able to withstand a category 5 hurricane and operate completely off-the-grid from any utility service for a minimum of 72 hours.
Safety and security begin at the entry of the site, as the building is set back behind natural wetland swales 90-feet from any public parking areas, exceeding FEMA requirements. A pedestrian bridge connects the public areas to the fully-hardened entrance. Once inside, the ballistic rated lobby acts as the secured access point to the building.
The EOC is equipped with a 24-screen display wall and eight tables equipped with power, data, and video control. The E-911 area has 31 dispatch positions and four supervisor positions on a raised floor. The space is equipped with three copy areas, four display walls, and a restroom. The facility boasts an extensive 12 miles of cabling infrastructure, ensuring seamless connectivity across its operations.
Both the emergency management and E-911 administration areas are designed to maximize the northern exposure of the building with a large curtain wall providing views of the wetlands, heavily wooded site, and diffused natural daylighting. During an activation, E-911 supervisors occupy an executive conference room overlooking a window onto the EOC floor. This provides critical situational awareness and synergies across departments, not possible in their previous location.
On the south side of the building, the secured parking area provides access for large vehicles, including a semi-truck, in the event of emergency shipments of supplies or maintenance vehicles to access the exterior equipment. This equipment consists of dual redundant air-handlers, chillers, and an emergency generator all housed in hardened enclosures.
This project won Bronze in the 2023 Officer.com Station Design Awards for Law Enforcement Public Safety Centers.
