Photos by Liam Frederick
Pima County’s (Arizona) new Emergency Center is a fast response, technology-enabled facility, housing an Operations Center and a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The 60,000 SF building contains state-of-the-art audiovisual systems including high-definition plasma displays and telecommunications infrastructure. Four breakout rooms and over 60 work stations allow multiple agencies to coordinate during a major emergency. The center also includes instant press conference capabilities, plus a highly mediated operations breakout room, logistics breakout room, and planning breakout room.
Highlighting the facility is a 75-person crisis operations room functioning as the central command and control space, where management decisions and coordinated responses are orchestrated. Twenty-four projectors display real-time data, proprietary media feeds (both public and secure), and first-responder communications onto surrounding wall surfaces, providing everyone full access to all relevant information. Several flat panel displays are mounted throughout the room to provide staff with quick status updates.
The facility also includes a policy breakout for top management to convene when the center is mobilized, logistics and operations rooms, and a divisible training/classroom which can operate as two separate rooms or one large space. The facility is a focal point for Pima County’s emergency management functions and services, contributing to the improvement of communal safety in the Tucson area.
