October 29, 2024
How will your Control Room function during a disaster? In the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the critical importance of emergency preparedness in operations centers has come into sharp focus. Facilities across the southeast faced the full force of a natural disaster, testing both the vulnerabilities and strengths of Control Center design and operations. The question is: How can you ensure your facility is ready for the next emergency? Let’s explore the critical factors that contribute to robust emergency preparedness.
The Foundation of Resilient Control Center Design
Designing a Control Center for emergency readiness requires prioritizing resilience—but what does that mean in practice? Here are two key considerations:
- Surviving the Event: The facility must be built to endure severe natural forces, whether from hurricanes, tornadoes, or seismic events. This includes the structural integrity of the façade and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) systems essential for maintaining operations.
- Maintaining Operations: Beyond withstanding the initial impact, the Control Center must remain operational throughout and after the event. When a Control Room is in the direct path of a disaster, the design must account for both immediate and indirect challenges. For instance, during a hurricane, operators need to feel safe and secure in the facility to effectively continue their work, even as external conditions worsen. In cases where the disaster occurs at a distance—such as 30 miles away—communication systems are vital for staying connected with field teams and substations.
Essential Emergency Control Center Design Features
In situations where operators are required to remain in the Control Center for extended periods, ancillary spaces such as bunk rooms, kitchens, fitness areas, and entertainment zones become essential. Just as we designed spaces to accommodate people experiencing discomfort during long lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic, Control Centers designed for emergencies must address both the operational and personal needs of the Control Room staff. Private spaces are crucial for supporting the mental and physical well-being of operators during prolonged stays.
Fortifying Control Centers Against All Threats
Emergency preparedness in operations centers is about more than operational continuity—it’s about fortifying the building itself. Our control center experts recommend strategies for protecting facilities from various threats:
- Blasts and Bullets: Protecting against man-made attacks is a critical aspect of Control Center design. One of the key strategies for blast resistance is increasing the standoff distance, which reduces the impact of explosive forces on the structure. By incorporating strategically placed landscape features, these design elements can prevent vehicles or threats from approaching too close to the facility. Integrating access control systems and monitoring technology can further enhance security without disrupting the flow of critical personnel.
- Extreme Weather: Control Centers must be designed to endure up to Category 5 hurricanes, EF5 tornadoes, and other severe weather events. For example, flying debris during storms poses a major threat, and buildings need to be constructed to withstand high-speed impacts from projectiles like 2x4s or other windborne objects. The structural integrity of the facility, from its framing to its façade, must be tested and reinforced accordingly to withstand these extreme conditions.
- EMP Events: Electromagnetic pulses (EMP) are a growing concern, especially for critical infrastructure. To mitigate the risks posed by EMPs, facilities must incorporate shielding measures and ensure critical systems have layers of protection. This includes Blackstart Rooms—fortified spaces that house essential equipment and safeguard them from EMP damage and enable operations to continue, even in the event of an electromagnetic disturbance.
A critical aspect of emergency preparedness in operations centers involves assessing an existing facility’s structural resilience through an Architectural and Structural Study, which evaluates wind load capacity and overall building integrity. Understanding the limits of your facility helps you prepare for worst-case scenarios and strengthens your response strategy.
Redundancy for Emergency Operations Centers
Redundancy is crucial for emergency preparedness in operations centers. At Lamb, our Control Center Architects and Engineers apply the n+1 principle, which ensures that every critical system has an additional unit to maintain operations during a failure. For instance, if two chillers are required, we design for three, providing peace of mind even if one unit fails. We also incorporate options for deployment of external power and water sources, ensuring your facility remains operational during critical events.
Mitigating Common Failures with Smart Design
To combat common MEP failures like HVAC breakdowns and power interruptions, we design protected courtyards for sensitive equipment. These areas shield critical systems from environmental threats while allowing easy maintenance access. Combined with advanced early-warning systems like VESDA for fire detection, our designs enhance reliability and operational continuity, ensuring your Control Center can withstand various hazards.
Data and Communication
In any disaster, communication is vital. We implement multiple backup systems to guarantee connectivity and encourage the use of dual communication providers and/or dual fiber systems.
Additionally, backup data facilities and protected Blackstart Rooms ensure essential equipment remains safe from threats like EMP events, allowing operations to continue seamlessly even if primary systems are compromised. This layered redundancy keeps your Control Center resilient and prepared for any threat.
Fostering a Culture of Emergency Preparedness in Operations Centers
Emergency preparedness training is not just about drills—it’s about cultivating a proactive culture within your organization. Creating an emergency response plan should engage all team members in understanding their roles in crisis situations. This includes regular simulations and scenario-based exercises that mirror potential real-world emergencies.
Training is also about continual learning; it should evolve with the changing landscape of threats and technologies. Staff should be well-versed in incident management and equipped to adapt to new challenges. The goal is to create a resilient team that can maintain operational integrity and respond effectively.
Risk Mitigation for Tomorrow’s Challenges
How can facilities mitigate risks in the context of natural disasters? Following code standards and leveraging historical data can help facilities prepare for a range of emergencies. By identifying both common and rare threats, Control Center planning can ensure that these facilities can withstand virtually any challenge.
At the core of emergency preparedness is a simple goal: safeguarding operators and ensuring uninterrupted operations. By incorporating resilient design, robust communication systems, and redundancy, Control Centers can confidently face the unexpected.
Is Your Facility Prepared?
In the aftermath of this year’s hurricanes and other weather events, operators are re-evaluating their emergency preparedness strategies. The lessons learned highlight the need for resilience, redundancy, and proactive planning. At Lamb, we are committed to helping utilities design and build facilities that keep operations running when it matters most.
Is your facility equipped for the unexpected?
Connect with Lamb’s Control Center Architects and Engineers to discuss how we can custom-design and build a facility that meets your specific needs, reinforcing your emergency operations plan and overall emergency preparedness strategy.
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