City, County leaders preview new Emergency Operations Center

City and County officials recently offered a preview of the new $24.5 million Emergency Operations Center (EOC) currently under construction at Brooks City-Base. The center, scheduled to be completed in December 2007, will bring together City of San Antonio and Bexar County emergency management offices into one shared facility.

The new EOC was approved by voters in November 2003 as part of separate City ($20.5 million) and County ($4.0 million) public safety bond initiatives. The larger, joint-use facility will allow for the seamless integration and operation of City, County, regional, state and federal emergency management personnel. Through this facility, these personnel will be able to gather, evaluate, and distribute critical information and implement responsive actions during a terrorist incident, a flood or significant weather event, a major hazardous materials accident, or other natural or man-made emergencies or disasters.

“We have seen in San Antonio how important it is to have an effective emergency management operation, and we are proud of our record when it comes to emergency preparedness and response.” said Mayor Phil Hardberger. “This new emergency operations center will allow us to continue to be successful in one of our most fundamental tasks -- responding to the needs of the community in a crisis.”

The new EOC will house the command and control elements of response to catastrophic, all-hazard events in a state-of-the-art facility located in a secure location. The 35,000-square foot facility will include a central command operations space, an emergency planning room, a media briefing room, administrative and support space, a technical infrastructure room, a redundant communications system, and electrical backup generator systems. In addition to EOC operations, the facility also will house the Public Works emergency dispatch center.