November 15, 2009

La Clinica building eyed for 9-1-1 — again

By Sam Craig
The Chronicle

     Wasco County has circled back to space in the La Clinica building as a potential site for a new 9-1-1 center to replace the existing small center, located downtown within The Dalles’ flood plain.
     On Friday, Wasco County Emergency Services presented the Wasco County Court with information on their plans to relocate. The court approved Wasco County Emergency Services to go forward with their plans to further look into moving operations to a new location.
     If there were a natural or other kind of disaster in The Dalles, emergency service officials say, the location of the Wasco County Central Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center, currently located in a leased building downtown, might be compromised and unable to deal with an influx of emergency calls. Their solution: move.
     There’s still planning to be done, but the county is looking into moving operations of Wasco County Central Dispatch, which is home to both city and county emergency dispatch operations, to the unoccupied south wing of the complex that currently houses La Clinica. The proposal to relocate to the building, which is at a higher vantage point, lays out the reasons for the move and the dangers posed if a disaster were to strike.
     The current 9-1-1 building doesn’t meet seismic upgrades, meaning an earthquake could do serious damage. If there were another flood in town, the building, which is in the flood plain, could be flooded. Proximity to I-84 and the railroad tracks also poses a risk vulnerability in the event of a hazardous spill or explosion.
     Emergency services also can’t expand the size of the space or install dispatch consoles. Antennas cannot be added to the tower on the building, and there is a high level of radio interference. The short-term lease on the office can be terminated with 90 days notice.
     Security issues for emergency dispatch workers also exist, like the lack of on-site or secure parking and restrooms outside the secured area. Maintenance is also a problem, the county says, particularly the wiring in the building.
     By moving the center of operations, the county hopes, many of those problems will end. After an evaluation of the 2,430-square-foot La Clinica building space, emergency services officials determined that it would be a useful alternative for the Dispatch Center and the Emergency Operations Center. As such, officials have pursued funding to renovate the building at 425 E Seventh St., which also needs seismic upgrades.
     Advantages, officials say, include eliminating the rent obligation for the current building, which costs the county about $15,000 a year. It will allow them to grow and add on more room for operations and install a fourth dispatch console, as well as putting an underused county building back into working order. The county can also put security measures into place.
     The county has also identified several sources for funding for renovations:
     • $200,000 in the 9-1-1 reserve account, $187,000 to put a new roof on the building,
     • $300,000 in congressionally approved grant funding from Office of Justice programs and,
     • if they can receive a matching grant locally, $50,000 in Emergency Management performance grant funding.
     Overall, the funds total $737,000, but they must be used by September 2010.
The county also expects to receive $46,800 in rent money from La Clinica in July 2010 and the county is pursuing several grants.
     The county estimates moving costs at around $230,000 after putting on a new roof and moving the equipment.
     The county approved moving forward with the emergency services plan to gather more information before the next County Court meeting on Nov. 25, saying it seemed like a great idea.
     “I think it’s a win-win for the county,” said County Commissioner Bill Lennox.
The $300,000 grant funding was approved by the U.S. Congress as part of National Recovery Act funding, and Emergency Services Manager Mike Davidson said he’d like to access another program that might help them out
     “I’ve been watching for ‘Cash for 911 Clunkers,” Davidson joked. “It could come out tomorrow, you never know.”