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PHOTO BY TIFFANY RICHARDS

COMMAND CENTER. Pierce County’s Mobile Operations Command Center sits outside of the new facility. The interior of the Mobile Operations Command Center, which features state-of-the-art equipment.

County opens new emergency center

By Tiffany Richards

The new Tacoma-Pierce County Regional Emergency Operations Center (EOC) facility was opened for public viewing for the first time on May 9.

Built to replace the EOC’s original facility, located in the basement of the County-City Building in downtown Tacoma, it provides a visual representation to area residents of what could happen when all levels of government come together for the greater good of the community.

“The unusual level of collaboration among local governments, the military and the [Puyallup] Tribe combine to make this center highly cost effective to the region and the federal government,” said Steve Bailey, emergency management director for the county. “We are all excited to see this project, with all of its partners, come to fruition.”

The EOC cost $10 million total to build, with $1.5 million from the federal Homeland Security Department. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash), who is a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security, said that it was nice to see a physical result of the federally allocated funds.

“[I was] able to see where the money was going, and not just a dollar figure on paper,” Murray said. “The regional leaders, everyone involved in emergency management, need the best information available to them. [This facility provides the] opportunity to place everyone who needs to talk to each other in one building.”    

The structure is also equipped with the latest voice and data communications systems that enhances the county’s ability to respond and restore vital services that might be interrupted in a disaster. Some of these features include most major systems having three backup units and an underground fuel tank for generators designed to provide full power to the facility for up to 15 days.

“A major lesson from large-scale disasters such as Hurricane Katrina is that securing a survivable facility that can function as the temporary set of government is essential,” said Emergency Management Program Manager Ken Parrish. “The new center is designed to be survivable and self-sufficient regardless of external environmental conditions.”

Preparedness was the major theme of the opening ceremony, reflected best by Pierce County Council Chair Terry Lee during his address. “[It’s the] belief of the Pierce County Council that it’s not a matter of if, but when” a disaster strikes the greater Tacoma area.

According to county officials, the area has had 10 presidentially declared natural disasters between January 1990 and March 2001. These include the 1993 “Inauguration Day” storm and the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Pierce County is situated in one of the most disaster-prone areas in the nation, making preparedness an appropriate top priority.

Those who took the opportunity to tour the facility had similar praise for it, and the efforts that made it possible, according to those present for the ceremony.

“I just toured the place, I think it’s fantastic,” said Ginger Passarelli, a volunteer with the Soup Ladies, an organization that provides emergency food services in disaster situations. “The better prepared we are, the better off we’ll be. I think it is great Pierce County has something like this.”

“We thought it was fabulous, very state of the art,” said Susan Geatz and Norma Lupkes, who work in the Safety Department at Weyerhaeuser in Federal Way. They went on to note that two of their former co-workers now work for Emergency Management.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” said Steve Burke, a construction manager with the city of Auburn. “I was with the creation [of the EOC] from the design portion, but had to leave when it was 85 percent complete. It’s nice to see it complete, fully operational, and done on time.”

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