The Austin Company provided detailed evaluation of sites at Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, and Santa Maria to determine the most appropriate location for this critical facility.  Parallel to this task, Austin interviewed eighteen stakeholders and prepared the facility program.  Schematic design activities are now underway.

The EOC will include an operational area emergency command center, support areas such as dispatch and radio rooms and public information office; and occupancy support areas such as a dormitory and food service.

In order to maintain operations during local and regional disasters, operational reliability infrastructure will include emergency power generation, an uninterruptible power supply system, redundant cooling and ventilation systems, self-contained domestic water and wastewater storage, a hardened building envelope, and a helipad.