Sandy Springs has entered contracts to relocate its emergency operations center to City Springs.
The City Council Dec. 18 approved two construction contracts worth $750,000 to build out a room with a large video wall on the complex’s fourth floor. The emergency operations center is currently located at facilities provided by the city’s private 911 service, the Chattahoochee River 911 Authority or ChatComm, at an office building on Mount Vernon Highway.
“An EOC brings together the departments and people needed to oversee necessary operations, so it is a command center we are able to utilize on an ongoing basis,” city spokesperson Sharon Kraun said. “Currently, we utilize space allocated at ChatComm, but the move will provide added space and enable us to better configure the area to meet the needs of our community.”
The center, which was proposed to move to City Springs in May, is used most often for emergencies such as hurricanes, severe storms that knock down trees and power lines, and winter storms, Kraun said.
“Other types of emergencies where it would be used are traffic emergencies with roads or highways completely shut down, a HazMat event, a public safety event that would force large-scale evacuations, etc,” she said. “Fortunately, these types of events are not frequent occurrences.”
The proposed project to relocate ChatComm and its backup cente is still under review, Kraun said.