By Jesse Dungan
April 17, 2008
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom joined public safety officials Wednesday to mark the opening of the city’s newly remodeled Emergency Operations Center.
The first floor of the facility, located at 1011 Turk St., underwent an estimated $2 million revamp, that officials said will make the center more flexible and efficient in the event of a major emergency.
Newsom said the facility, which serves as the coordination point for city agencies to respond to emergencies and coordinate with state and federal governments, will enable the city to manage large events and react to the unexpected more efficiently, but acknowledged that the city’s emergency response is a “work in progress.”
Most of the funding for the overhaul came from a Department of Homeland Security grant, said Acting Executive Director of the Department of Emergency Management Vicki Hennessey.
Referencing the costs of the new center, Newsom said it’s always difficult to make investments in the “context of budget deficits.”
He pointed out that today’s opening comes during the 102nd anniversary week of the 1906 earthquake and on the heels of a recent study that predicts a major earthquake is almost certain to strike the state within the next 30 years.
“We have to deal with that reality,” Newsom said. “We need to make that investment at home.”
The revamped area on the first floor is mostly open, where as prior to remodeling, a wall and cubicles divided the room, according to officials. The new design, which includes several smaller rooms along the sides of the open space for private discussions and meetings, is intended to allow public safety agencies to coordinate better.
Officials said the new open area, which hosts a number of desks topped with red phones and computers, will also let emergency management personnel work side-by-side with representatives from non-governmental organizations such as representatives from the private and non-profit sectors.
Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Laura Adleman said that the redesigned center now includes touch-sensitive white boards that connect to computers and other new technology, and that the center can also be used for training and exercises.
In addition, the 4,000-square-foot center will be employed for management of large planned events. Adleman said that the alternative Emergency Operations Center, which was utilized during the remodeling, was used when the Olympic torch came to the city.
Officials also announced an updated Emergency Response Plan, which provides updated response elements to the 2005 Emergency Operations Plan that focuses on overall support and coordination of the city’s response to a major emergency or event.
Rob Dudgeon, acting deputy director of the Department of Emergency Management, Division of Emergency Services, said that the city is continuing to build a comprehensive citywide emergency management program to increase preparedness.
The city is expected to upgrade the second floor of the facility, which hosts the 911 center, during a second phase of the project.
For tips on how to prepare for a disaster, visit www.72hours.org or call 311 to request emergency preparedness brochures.
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