Public Safety Answering Center II - Bronx, NYPhoto Credit: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Bronx, NY Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B), the recipient of the 2016 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) NY Diamond Award for the recently completed Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II), is a finalist for the Council’s Empire Award, to be awarded at the ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on March 19th.
JB&B was contracted by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) to design the 24/7 emergency call center to augment existing emergency services in New York. The new facility will enhance the city’s ability to maintain communications in the event of a natural disaster or large-scale emergency. PSAC II will be responsible for emergency call-taking and dispatching throughout all of New York City, with an expected volume of over 12 million calls per year.
JB&B designed a resilient system capable of sustained operation in the event of an emergency. The design includes fully redundant systems to support 24/7 year-round operation. The MEP/FP design achieved an on-time and on-budget project execution, with technology in every facet.
PSAC II’s blast-resistant structure contains minimal windows to increase the building’s security measures. The plumbing sanitary drainage system utilizes an onsite sewage retention tank and pumps for emergency operation. The building’s advanced fire protection system includes a combination fire standpipe/sprinkler system throughout the facility, with a redundant onsite water supply for the automatic fire pump. There is a combination of wet sprinkler systems for general office areas, dry sprinkler systems for areas subject to freezing, and preaction sprinkler systems for protection of critical data center areas and equipment.
The primary incoming electric service is elevated on the 10th floor of the building, which keeps the electric service protected from potential flooding, and the emergency power plant is designed to serve the entire building. There are two fully redundant fuel oil systems consisting of fuel oil tanks, pumps and fuel oil services to support the facility during emergency conditions.
The New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) is the city’s capital project delivery agency. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP is the architect, with Jaros, Baum & Bolles as MEP Engineer and Domingo Gonzalez Associates as Lighting Engineer.
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