FEATURED PROJECT

Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center
Palm Beach County, Florida

This Mult-Agency Facility located in Palm Beach County, Florida consists of 34,000 square feet and was programmed and designed to accommodate the offices of Emergency Manager, Emergency Medical Services, Fire and E.M.S. Dispatch/Communications and as an Emergency Operations Center with an enhanced incident Command and Center.

It is one of the first facilities designed to meet newly developed criteria for a "near absolute" facility, exceeding that mandated for a category 5 Hurricane event.

This is a nuclear protected complex designed to allow County emergency communications and emergency operations to continue functioning in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. As a self-contained facility, it is capable of maintaining operations for several weeks, utilizing its self contained redundant systems for communications, portable water, sewage and emergency powers. The protection criteria was mandated as a result of facility proximity to a nuclear power plant and meets all federal and local standards for a facility of the specified type.

ADG served Martin County, Florida as the Design Criteria Architect / Expert Design Consultant; as well as Owner's Representative during final design and construction of the facility. This state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center provides space for the new joint communications/ 9-1-1/ dispatch center combining Law Enforcement with Fire-Rescue Emergency Services and administrative space for the Sheriff's Department and Emergency Services Department. The project is located at the County's Holt Law Enforcement Complex, and is designed as an addition to the Sheriff's existing 24,000 SF facility. The completed project totals 86,000 SF with a phase two remodeling of the existing sheriff's building.

The completed building is survivable with redundant environmental systems, 100% emergency power back-up and building design to resist sustained wind loads in excess of 190 MPH.

In addition to security and survivability criteria, the facility is wired for fiber-optics communication/data, and complete state-of-the-art audio visual backbone. The facility will be used for operations, training, and the County's Emergency Operations nerve center. Construction of the project uses the strong, yet economical site-cast, tilt-wall concrete system.

This two-story state of the art 18,500 SF joint-use facility is designed to withstand category five hurricane forces. The first level provides the administrative offices for the County's Department of Emergency Management and the EOC. The EOC also is utilized by the Sheriff's Office daily for training and COMSTAT meetings. The upper level, occupied by the Sheriff's Office's Information Services Department accommodates the County's E911 Communications Center, as well as the Information Technology Division. ADG assisted the County in developing a FEMA/State of Florida DCA grant application that awarded the project $900,000 in additional funding for the project.

Prepared for the State of Florida Department of Community Affairs and funded under the auspices of the Federal Department of Homeland Security, this in-depth research document is intended to be utilized on a national basis for the planning and design of emergency operation facilities. It documents the step by step process of how to program, design, and fund EOC facilities capable of withstanding a variety of man-made and natural events. It includes detailed information relative to facility survivability, site and building security and the incorporation of redundant building systems specific to facilities of this specialized nature.

This is a joint-use facility, consisting of approximately 15,000 square feet, designed to accommodate the communications section of the Office of the Sheriff and the Department of Emergency Management. The structure is designed to withstand "near absolute" forces as well as redundant critical systems, in order to ensure facility survivability.

The E.O.C. portion of the facility contains an incident command center with associated "break-out" rooms, food service facilities, dormitories, and offices/conference areas for elected officials; all programmed and designed to comply with federal protocols.

Osceola County selected Architects Design Group, Inc. to provide professional planning and design services for the master planning and construction of a combined Joint Communications/ Emergency Operations Center (CEOC). This project includes a 2 story, 45,000 square foot Joint Communications/Emergency Operations facility, a 2,400 single story Sheriff's Vehicle Command and Equipment Storage structure, and a three level 300 car parking garage. The project provides a direct tie to the existing Osceola County Sheriff's Administration Complex, enhancing overall delivery of Public Safety Services.