Wagoner County commissioners designate Building 4 as official 911 facility; officials outline $2–3 million hardening plan

Wagoner County commissioners on May 20 designated Building 4 at the county emergency management complex as the county’s official 9‑1‑1 facility and heard a detailed presentation on a proposed hardened dispatch and IT center.

The vote followed a presentation from Mark Ketchum, the county 9‑1‑1 coordinator, who described plans to build a hardened, ICC‑500 standard structure inside the existing Emergency Management Building 4 to protect dispatch operations and county servers during severe weather and other incidents. Commissioners voted to designate Building 4 for the project by roll call (ayes recorded by the clerk).

Ketchum said the proposal would create a “self contained” dispatch and IT core able to withstand high‑end tornadoes and keep emergency communications functioning during extreme events. The conceptual design described a hardened dispatch room with modern consoles, redundant power and generator capacity, secure server rooms, on‑site sleeping bunks so dispatchers can shelter in place, private “quiet” rooms for staff emotional support, and multi‑layer access control and perimeter security. He said the design could also support a future countywide dispatch consolidation if that option were pursued.

The conceptual budget estimate presented to the board ranged from $2 million to $3 million, which Ketchum said covered the hardened structure, equipment, and infrastructure. He said the county would pursue federal, state, and other grant funding that specifically supports hardening 9‑1‑1 centers and that having a defined facility and concept would strengthen grant applications. “This project is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” Ketchum said.

James Perry and Amber Johnson, the sheriff’s office and 9‑1‑1 IT staff members who worked on the design and technical requirements, described operational needs the facility would meet, including dedicated, cooled, secure server racks; radio programming and repair benches; and space for training and for adding dispatch consoles as the county grows. They showed a conceptual floor plan that allocates roughly 1,224 square feet for dispatch consoles (the current dispatch footprint was described as significantly smaller) and room for up to 12 consoles in future growth scenarios.

Ketchum said staff had discussed options with local builders and presented preliminary input from a contractor familiar with tornado‑rated construction. He noted that building to EF‑4/TF‑5 shelter standards raises cost and technical requirements compared with a simple metal building, and that in‑building hardening was in some cases less costly than demolishing and rebuilding on the same pad. He told the board he would first pursue grant opportunities and refine cost estimates before returning with bid documents.

Commissioners asked about timetable and funding. Ketchum said the timing was to be determined and that the county should first seek grant support; he emphasized that grant programs typically require an identified facility or project plan. The board approved the designation so staff could pursue grants and next steps; the vote was recorded by roll call with all commissioners present voting in the affirmative.

The presentation prompted discussion of related radio‑site improvements and staffing for IT and radio programming. Ketchum and Perry said cross‑training between sheriff’s IT and 9‑1‑1 IT staff was already underway to provide redundancy, and that the proposed facility would centralize radio programming, server maintenance, and dispatch functions.

The county will next refine cost estimates, pursue grant opportunities, and return to the board with more detailed plans and any required contract documents.