Project Type: Government

Chatham County Multi-Agency Public Safety Facility
Chatham County, NC

The Multi-Agency Public Safety Facility in Chatham County, North Carolina is an 83,000 SF complex that houses the Emergency Operations Center, non-emergency call center, E-911 dispatch, and the Chatham Emergency Management Agency. Designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, the facility serves as the region’s primary operations hub during extreme weather events and disasters. It is equipped with redundant HVAC and power systems, enabling at least 72 hours of continuous operation in the event of a primary system failure.

Metropolitan Acoustics supported the design team by developing partition assemblies to appropriately isolate critical spaces throughout the building. We provided guidance on improving speech privacy within call centers to help operators remain focused during emergency response activities. Furthermore, we developed strategies to enhance speech intelligibility in conference rooms, ensuring clear communication among emergency management directors and command staff.

Our scope also included preparing noise control solutions for mechanical systems, including dedicated outdoor air handling units, air-cooled condensing units, and computer room air conditioning systems. Among several recommendations, we specified packless (no-media) duct silencers to reduce mechanical noise while maintaining compliance with project performance criteria.

Photo Credit: Keith Isaacs