This project consolidated the emergency communications centers of the Counties of Dare, Tyrrell, and Hyde into one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) along with creating an Emergency Operations Center (EOC/E911) for Dare County.

The new single-story, 18,200 SF facility is in Dare County, North Carolina and includes a Regional 911 Communications Center, County Emergency Management Agency, County Fire Marshal, County Emergency Medical Services, and a County Joint Information Center. The aesthetics of the building are reflective of the newly completed County Administrative Facility.

The Regional Emergency Communications Center (ECC) building was constructed above the 100-year floodplain due to the proximity to the ocean. This was critical of both the RECC operations during hurricanes/tropical storms and flooding, as well as meeting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommendations for emergency management. Meeting the DHS/EMA needs allowed the RECC to exceed the best practices for the design of the E911 Facilities.

The new facility provides administrative offices, meeting rooms, a call center, sleeping quarters, laundry, full bathrooms with showers, as well as a full kitchen to support emergency management personnel and functions.

PACE Collaborative provided the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection, and special systems design for the new facility.

The mechanical design included a new HVAC system that consisted of 14 split system heat pumps (SSHP) with supplemental electric heating coils. These SSHPs totaled approximately 50 tons of cooling and provide thermostatic zoning. A dedicated outside air system (DOAS) with energy recovery was added to provide preconditioned ventilation air and to positively pressurize the building. Two 20-ton computer room air conditioner units (CRAC) service the server room. These CRAC units are floor mounted with a top return and downflow supply which discharges into the supply floor plenum. Perforated floor panels were placed in the cold aisles of the server room. The kitchen was provided with a Commercial Type 1 kitchen hood and a makeup air unit. Miscellaneous exhaust was achieved with either roof mounted fans or ceiling fans that discharge to roof vents.

The plumbing design consisted of plumbing fixtures with low flow features, domestic cold- water, domestic hot water system provided by an electric, tank type water heater and recirculating hot water piping system with pumps, and a reduced pressure principal device backflow prevention assembly. Additional backflow prevention assemblies were installed in the make-up water system that will serve the geothermal condenser water system.

Power is provided by the local utility. Service to the building runs underground to a pad mounted transformer. The power system is a 208/120V system rated at approximately 1,200A.

Emergency power sufficient for the entire building in the event of loss of utility power is supplied by a diesel driven emergency generator, approximately 300 kW, which is located outdoors in an aluminum, weatherproof, sound attenuated enclosure rated for wind load equivalent to a Class 4 hurricane with a base mounted, double wall fuel tank with a capacity to operate the facility at 100% load.  A temporary generator connection box and manual transfer switch provision were provided for a temporary, portable, emergency generator. Artificial interior lighting was provided for all spaces. Lighting was installed in accordance with the recommended Illumination Engineering Society (IES) standards. In general, all interior lighting is LED apart from certain areas where special fixtures are used for special lighting applications to comply with the North Carolina Energy Code. As an energy-saving measure, spaces such as offices, conference rooms, sleeping rooms and toilets were equipped with motion sensors to automatically turn lights off when not occupied to comply with the North Carolina Energy Code.

Exterior lighting consists of pole mounted LED cut-off fixtures with aluminum poles and concrete foundations. The poles were designed for wind load per North Carolina Building Code. The lights are photocell controlled with a timer to reduce the lighting level at a time to be determined.

The fire protection design consisted of an automatic wet-pipe sprinkler system in the office area. The system is hydraulically calculated to meet NFPA 13 light hazard occupancy requirements.

The RECC and EOD/E911 facility are protected with a double interlocked pre-action system. The system requires the activation of two detectors and melting of a sprinkler head prior to water discharge. After the first action, an alarm shall be initiated to allow the building occupants to deal with the fire before water discharge.

The data center is protected by an FM-200 chemical fire suppression system to prevent damage to the contents. These systems are controlled by their own smoke and ionization detection systems and control panels which are interconnected with the building fire alarm system.

The fire alarm system is a supervised, electrically operated closed-circuit type. The fire alarm system allows for individually annunciated devices.  The system includes fire alarm-programmed dry contacts for security electronics and building automation system monitoring of the fire alarm status.  An LCD text annunciator panel with full system operability was provided in the entry lobby as part of the fire alarm system. Manual pull stations, smoke detectors, thermal detectors and alarm horns with visual indication were located in accordance with applicable codes and standards.

Cable television outlets were provided to serve televisions located in designated spaces.

A public address system was provided for the facility.

The facility was provided with a UL-certified lightning protection system designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 780 and is connected to a counterpoise system.

The electronic security system consists of access control, video surveillance and recording, and miscellaneous monitoring devices (intrusion detectors, duress / panic devices, etc.). The access control and video surveillance subsystems are computer based and programmable to meet the current and ongoing security and operational needs of the facility. The system communicates via a secure network which limits the potential for outside unauthorized access to the system.