This state-of-the-art Essential Services Facility for the City of Oakland was constructed to direct city-wide crisis management in the event of a major emergency of regional disaster. Representatives from key departments convene to handling widespread crisis, strategizing and implementing the deployment of fire, police and help from the general public and other governmental agencies.

Special attention was paid to ensure this facility remain operational and effective during a disaster event. Features to address this included providing redundant emergency power and communication systems; uninterrupted power for computer systems; seismically resistant structure; day-lighting; spatial openness; and acoustics and color selection which assist people to work at their best under the strain of disaster response. The project also included the complete remodel of the Fire Dispatch Center.

Megan Riera was designer and project manager for this project while with MWA.