Washington County Emergency Management has officially opened its brand-new, state-of-the-art $6.6 million Emergency Operations Center in Bartlesville โ a move years in the making that leaders say will transform how the county responds to emergencies.
For years, the department operated out of three separate buildings across Bartlesville, which sometimes caused delays in response times. The new facility brings everything together on one property โ from communications to storage โ creating a more efficient and coordinated hub.
โItโs a big improvement from previous locations. Weโve got about 8,000 square feet of office space, training areas, and communications rooms, another 9,000 square feet of equipment storage for fire trucks and response vehicles, and an additional 6,000-square-foot warehouse for supplies, equipment, and trailers.โ said Emergency Manager Kary Cox.
Cox said having everything under one roof makes a major difference in how quickly they can respond when emergencies happen.
โItโs much more convenient having everything here in one spot. We knew for years that our old space was inadequate, and now we finally have the larger facility we need to operate effectively.โ
One of the biggest upgrades is the buildingโs construction and safety design. โFirst and foremost, the fact that it is a hardened facility โ the 8,000 square feet of operational space is all solid concrete,โ Cox said.
โYouโre literally standing inside a solid concrete box. Itโs a secure, hardened facility โ something weโve never had before.โ
The new site also serves as a centralized communications hub. โWe have improved communications here,โ Cox explained. โWe have a 100-foot tower that extends our communication capabilities and range. Weโve also added new frequencies, which is a big improvement for both response and daily operations.โ
Cox said the facility now includes multiple broadband providers and backup systems, ensuring they stay connected even if one network fails.
โWeโve added backup systems โ if one provider goes down, we roll over to a second or even a third,โ Cox said. โWeโve also improved access control for the entire property and upgraded our monitoring systems to track local security cameras and communications across the jurisdiction.โ
With new space and upgraded technology, Cox said the department can now respond faster and more efficiently โ and is adding new tools to keep residents informed.
