Clallam officials discuss moving Emergency Operations Center

‘Change of thought’ for Jefferson County perspective

PORT ANGELES — Officials from across Clallam County support combining the county’s Emergency Operations Center with a dispatch center near Fairchild International Airport, but there is plenty of work to be done before such an effort could become reality.

During a work session Monday, officials and first responders from Port Angeles, Forks, Sequim and Clallam County told the Board of County Commissioners that the current emergency operations center — located in the basement of the courthouse — is inadequate and that the airport would be a prime location for a new facility.

City officials said cities will depend on the county in a catastrophe and spoke of concerns of what would happen if the current EOC is destroyed in a massive earthquake.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“It’s a pretty safe bet if we do have a Cascadia-like event, not only will our present EOC be wiped out, but the dispatch center that we do have across the street will probably not be functional,” Sheriff Bill Benedict said.

Officials agreed the next step forward is to develop a “shared vision” for what a new emergency operations center would include.

Officials said that ideally an emergency operations center would co-exist with a new dispatch center.

Charlie Bush, Sequim’s city manager, said the city of Sequim has been planning its response if the county’s current EOC isn’t there where an earthquake hits.

“The current location of the EOC is a real concern,” he said.

He said that during an emergency once the city’s resources are overwhelmed, protocol calls for the city to reach out to the county.

“If the county EOC isn’t there, we have a major problem,” he said. “So, we’re very supportive of the move of the county EOC to a location that is more likely to be there after a major event.”

They all agreed near the airport is a good idea, but many details still would need to be hammered out.

There were questions of which agencies would own the EOC, what plot of land it would sit on and what contracts would need to be in place.

How a new building would fit in with the ongoing effort to merge PenCom and JeffCom 9-1-1 dispatch centers is another unanswered question.

Karl Hatton, director of PenCom and JeffCom dispatch centers, said that as the director of PenCom, he feels the dispatch center in Port Angeles is too small and said he welcomes the idea of expanding.

He also said that from his experience in Jefferson County he knows it is beneficial for the EOC and dispatch center to be co-located.

“We’re one door away from each other,” he said. “It’s helpful … those six to eight times a year when we activate the EOC due to a weather incident or some major incident.”

He said that Jefferson County has a perception that if Clallam County moves ahead with a new EOC that it could happen “with or without” Jefferson County.

He said Jefferson County also is looking at locations that could work for a facility in Jefferson County.

“In a best possible world, in my personal opinion, is if we had a co-located EOC with a co-located 9-1-1 center, I think there’s a whole lot of value there,” Hatton said. “I think it would be foolish not to look at this opportunity … but I would just say that from a Jefferson County perspective it throws in a change of thought.”

There was a general consensus that a new building should fulfill the county’s needs for the next several decades and that the county should plan for growth.

Port Angeles Fire Chief Ken Dubuc suggested that built into a new facility could be a west-side fire station for the Port Angeles Fire Department.

“We’re fully in support of this,” Dubuc said. “The city is fully on board with an effort to put in an EOC.”

He said 20 years ago the fire department identified a need for a west side station.

Ben Andrews, fire chief for Clallam Fire District No. 3, emphasized the need for a reliable and safe facility and said that what is being proposed makes sense.

He cautioned against under building a facility and suggested that it should be expandable.

“I would recommend not making a new EOC dependent on the ability to do a dispatch center at the same time,” he said. “If it’s too heavy of a lift to do both, the EOC should still move forward.

“You can build facilities in such a way that you plan to add the other half on later.”

Commissioner Randy Johnson said he hadn’t thought about coordinating with Jefferson County and said he doesn’t mind all the ideas that are coming up.

He expressed concerns about having too many parts to the project that could delay it from being completed.

“It sounds likes there’s a vision that everyone is saying that is pretty similar,” Johnson said.

“I don’t want to be sitting here 20 years later and still talking about this, because that’s not a way to operate.”

________

Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

Emily Matthiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group
Stew Cockburn stands in the spring annual section prior to it being for early spring gardeners.
New Dungeness Nursery planted in landscaping industry

Family and their employees work 2-acre location in Sequim

Partnership discussion may violate state law

OMC in Phase 2 of exploratory process

Members of the public take a guided tour at Port Townsend High School on Wednesday. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Townsend school district may seek $90M bond

Tour highlights high school’s infrastructure needs

A pair of wind surfers take off from the breakwater at Port Townsend Marina in an apparent race across the bay on Tuesday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Catching the wind

A pair of wind surfers take off from the breakwater at Port… Continue reading

Clallam County Economic Development Council Director of Operations Lorie Fazio, left, and Executive Director Colleen McAleer stand with Michael Cade, executive director of Thurston EDC who presented the WEDA’s 2025 Innovation in Economic Development award. The EDC received the award last month in recognition of its Clallam Forest Product Innovation Program.
Clallam EDC wins state innovation award

Forest innovation program intended to revitalize industry

Port Townsend library to show Willa Cather documentary

Free novels, dramatic reading Thursday at 5:30

Jefferson sets short-term rental rules

County establishes 4 percent cap, one rental per operator

When former deputy and pilot John L. Strachan told his wife Jennie that his final wish was for his ashes to be sent into space, she wondered if he was kidding. After all, could such a thing even be done? Turns out, it can — and Jennie is making it happen. (Jennie Strachan)
When former deputy and pilot John L. Strachan told his wife Jennie that his final wish was for his ashes to be sent into space, she wondered if he was kidding. After all, could such a thing even be done? Turns out, it can — and Jennie is making it happen. (Jennie Strachan)
Former deputy’s ashes to be sent into space

Widow of John Strachan to fulfill his dream

Port OKs Citizen Air lease

Company purchasing Rite Bros. Aviation

Rebates offered for e-bikes through April 23

The state Department of Transportation will accept applications for e-bike… Continue reading

Jefferson County Public Health names heroes

Jefferson County Public Health has announced its 2025 Public… Continue reading

Man transported to hospital after log truck goes into ditch

A log truck driver was transported to Forks Community Hospital… Continue reading