Sedgwick County officials are working on plans for a new emergency preparedness center to house the Emergency Management department and provide space and resources for emergency response situations.

The county’s director of facilities, Andrew Dilts, said 911 operations have had to expand within the current public safety building at 717 North Main.   He said the call center will soon require the entire building for its operation.  That will force Emergency Management to move to a new location.    Dilts said the public safety building was constructed to withstand a number of hazards, and it’s not recommended to build new additions.

An emergency preparedness center would have administrative offices for Emergency Management, along with warehouse space for vehicles and supplies, an emergency operations center, and a public health emergency preparedness facility.   A preliminary design has been prepared for a facility that would be close to 27,000 square feet.   The building would have five vehicle bays for mass vaccinations or testing and a classroom facility for training functions.   The cost of the facility would be around $16 million.

County commissioners have approved an amendment to a capital improvement program to allow for the new facility, and they plan to approve an application this month for a federal grant that would help with the cost of the center.