By Gabby Jimenez
The Advocate
BATON ROUGE, La. 鈥� A new $7.7 million facility will give Baton Rouge first responders protection and space for disaster response during an emergency.
Construction on the East Baton Rouge Parish First Responder Safe Room and Training Center, located at 3785 Harding Blvd., began in 2022. On Thursday morning, local officials unveiled the 18,000-square-foot building for law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and firefighters.
鈥淭his facility will save lives, enhance our training capabilities and ensure that East Baton Rouge Parish is ready to face whatever challenges come our way,鈥� Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said.
The entire one-story structure is designed to be compliant with Federal Emergency Management Agency criteria for a safe room, which can withstand extreme weather events, including tornadoes and hurricanes.
Among the building鈥檚 protections are a metal roof system that spans over 10 inches thick and is supported by a structural steel frame, exterior walls that are reinforced with multiple layers, and glass designed to keep out water and debris, according to Lisa Nice, lead architect for the center. To meet FEMA requirements, the facility also had to be able to operate without any assistance for at least 72 hours.
In the event of extreme weather, like a hurricane, the facility can house up to 704 personnel. Outside of emergencies, the rooms will be used for training and can be divided to accommodate multiple classes.
Clay Rives, director of the Mayor鈥檚 Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said during previous hurricanes first responders would stay in airport hangars or commercial buildings.
鈥淚n the face of increasing storm intensity and frequency, it was imperative that we have a dedicated facility designed to protect those who protect us,鈥� Broome said. 鈥淭his safe room will serve as a safe haven, ensuring that our first responders, emergency operations, staff and other essential personnel can remain in the heart of the storm, ready to respond the moment it鈥檚 safe to do so.鈥�
The building is located in a public safety complex next to other essential services, including EMS headquarters, and is down the street from the Fire Department, Sheriff鈥檚 Office and coroner.
FEMA funded $5.8 million for the building, while the remainder came from sources in the city-parish, Rives said.
Broome said the new facility is a proactive step in preparing the parish for emergencies.
鈥淲e know that here in south Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge area specifically, that we often are the recipients of major weather events ... and it has taken us some very intentional steps to make sure that we are a resilient community,鈥� she said.
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