eoc

PORT ANGELES – Clallam County Commissioners appear in favor of funding the next steps to build a new Emergency Operations Center.

Commissioners agreed to fund the detailed drawing phase of the project.

That’s expected to cost about half a million dollars. The county still has about 200 thousand dollars available to apply for the phase. County commissioners this week agreed to earmark another $300,000 next year.

Project manager Dale Jackson told commissioners in a work session this week, the detailed drawing phase will get the project close to “shovel ready”, it make it easier to apply for grants and ask the state for additional funding.

Clallam County and the City of Port Angeles plan to build a new emergency operations center near Fairchild Airport that would also relocate the local police and fire dispatch, and add a new west Port Angeles fire station.

The county would lease one and half acres of Port property near the airport and build a new 17,000 square foot center.

The project is expected to cost $12.2 million dollars.

Officials say they’ll also pursue state and federal grants to help pay for the new facility.

The EOC needs to move, as its current location in the basement of the courthouse is not earthquake safe.

PenCom has also outgrown its current location at Port Angeles City Hall. And the city has said it needs a better fire and EMT response site for the west side of Port Angeles