The ability to manage your work environment and continue operations under extreme conditions requires that you have a safe and controlled facility which supports the PSAP emergency communications mission. Today, more than ever before, it is essential that the physical environment be designed to withstand significant weather and man-made events. These include the destructive forces of a hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, fire, or act of terrorism. That requires housing staff and equipment in facilities designed to standards which allow for structural integrity and systems redundancy regardless of what is happening outside of the facility.
We are talking about the security and strength of building exteriors, including walls, roof, doors, windows, vents, and air intake louvers to the redundancy of electrical, fiber, mechanical, water and sanitary systems. When something goes down, another set of system component must replace performance within seconds. Your comfort within the facility and your ability to continue to perform your essential mission count on the location of your PSAP containing these protective elements, to the degree required to mitigate the threats in your area.
As many PSAPs are located within facilities older than 20 years, it may be time to confirm the integrity of facilities and upgrade where possible. Today’s building codes and standards now reference higher levels of performance, as experience and failures have informed the public safety and building communities of what is required to maintain appropriate survivability and operational levels.
Communications administrative staff, working with city and county facilities managers, should periodically perform assessments of all facilities used to provide emergency communications. Your APCO Commercial Advisory Committee members can assist in these efforts.
The exterior envelope of the building needs to incorporate materials such as reinforced, filled concrete masonry or steel plate over metal or wood stud framing. Windows and storefront or curtain wall glazing need to meet the testing designations referenced in the Building Code, Chapter 16, Structural Design. There are also options of applying steel shutters over windows that cannot meet the impact requirements of the code. Window placement should be designed to allow for daylight, views, and program functions in appropriate areas. Generally, equipment and storage rooms should be enclosed in solid concrete walls without windows.
Glazing in windows or storefront systems should have low reflectance. Laminated insulated Low-E impact resistant glazing for survivability and energy efficiency should be considered. Doors are another element that need to be evaluated in terms of its operational function, structural integrity, and aesthetic appearance. Doors are designed to work with the door frame, door hardware, and in some cases, door access control systems.
Ventilation louvers also need to be reviewed for their structural integrity and their appropriate air flow. The capability of louvers to withstand direct wind pressure and be automatically closed when the wind speed develops into a high wind event is also important. This requires coordination between wind sensors, the HVAC system, and internal controls. Typical spaces that would utilize exterior louvers are kitchen and kitchen equipment, mechanical rooms and mechanical system fresh air intake points, compressor equipment, work rooms, and area containing gas fired heating elements.
The roof structure can consist of steel or concrete deck on steel joists. Roofing systems need to be specified to meet stringent uplift factors. The roofing system includes the roof covering and the structural elements below that system. “Single ply” systems, layered modified bituminous systems, standing seam metal roofing systems, and shingle systems can all be used, if their attachment method can allow the roofing material to resist wind driven negative and positive structural forces.
Due to the survivable nature of this building type and its public prominence there should be no exposed roof top equipment. Where antennae structures need to be mounted on the building, a vertical wall surface and steel structure should be provided that the antennae can be secured to. All equipment should be ground mounted behind protective enclosures in secure staff areas to enhance survivability, security, and ease of maintenance.
These design features are intended to create a survivable, sustainable emergency communications facility. Below are some of the codes, standards, and guidance publications used to evaluate and design facilities to resist the destructive climactic and man-made forces around us.
Due to the essential public safety nature of emergency communications centers and the need to maintain continuous operations during natural and manmade events, the structural system and building enclosure materials need to resist forces beyond the typical rainstorm. Both the International Building Code (2015 Edition) and The Florida Building Code (5th Edition 2014) categorize these facilities as Risk Category 4, essential facilities. The wind speeds and debris impacts are considerably higher than the average residence and office building risk category. All doors, windows, and vents must be tested to the International Code Council ICC-500 testing standards, or another building code recognized testing protocol.
Updated: 2020. Click here to view the original publication.
