Ground breaking held for new Chatham County safety facility

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - A new multi-million-dollar public safety facility in Pooler will become a critical hub during hurricane season.

Officials broke-ground on the Chatham County multi-agency public safety facility off of Gulfstream Road Thursday morning.

The new 83,000 square foot facility, located in Pooler, will bring services like 911 dispatch and emergency response resources from various local agencies under one roof.

Officials say after about 10 years of fundraising, they finally have the money to get the project started.

They say it will be a nerve center for communication and decision making when severe weather strikes.

In roughly two years, the multi-agency facility will be located on Gulfstream Road.

“You really can’t have an effective response effort without collaboration with partners,” Director, Dennis Jones, said.

Those response efforts include power outages, 911 calls, emergency services and one that stands out hurricane seasons.

“Those who cannot evacuate themselves or need medical assistance evacuating, all those decisions will come out of this building. In that way, it impacts the whole county,” Chairman, Chester A. Ellis, said.

Bonzo Reddick with the Georgia Department of Public Health says this building will play a key role in carrying the county through future hurricanes.

“Even if the elements do bring more hurricanes or worse weather, we’ll be prepared to tackle them and more prepared to handle them,” Bonzo Reddick, said.

It’s a multi-million-dollar project, roughly 10 years in the making.

“Now we have the appropriate funds to get this building started and get it finished,” Chairman, Chester A. Ellis, said.

Officials expect construction to begin by the end of the year.

“As we stand on this ground today, we’re not just breaking earth, we’re breaking barriers. We’re breaking down walls of uncertainty and laying the foundation for a safer and stronger community,” Director, Dennis Jones.

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