Construction tour of CEMA’s hurricane-resistant operations center

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chatham County is building a state-of-the-art public safety facility on airport property, with walls now going up after the foundation was poured.

The new operations center will replace decades-old facilities and consolidate emergency response resources under one roof for the first time.

“The response is fragmented when it comes to not having everyone together,” said Dennis Jones, Chatham Emergency Management Agency director.

Centralized response to save time during emergencies

The facility will house police, fire, EMS, public works and government liaisons in a single location.

“We can bring all of those resources together to get real time information, so we can get real time decisions,” Jones said. “Anytime we can do that, it shaves off minutes. It shaves off hours.”

The project has been funded through SPLOST dollars approved by Chatham County voters more than 13 years ago.

“They voted for it, so this is your SPLOST dollars at work,” Jones said.

Built to withstand Category 5 storm surge

The entire site was elevated to protect it from Category 5 storm surge.

“The whole site had to be elevated up to get it out of that Cat 5 storm surge zone, so it’s an elevated structure,” Jones said. “We’ve got walls going up. It’s impressive to see.”

A Category 5 storm surge could bring water over 95 percent of the county and extend well into Effingham County, according to Jones.

The need for a storm-resistant facility resonated with voters who have experienced Savannah’s historic hurricanes.

Jones said the frequency of storms has increased in recent years. In 2016 and 2017, the area experienced Matthew and Irma back to back. In 2024, Debbie and Helene hit back to back.

“We are seeing more activity from a natural disaster perspective,” Jones said.

The facility is expected to be ready by September 2027, during the middle of next hurricane season.