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State of Florida Special Needs Shelters
Project Summary
Hurricanes along Florida’s coasts in 2004 and 2005 demonstrated the problems that arise when utility service is interrupted for a prolonged period of time at emergency shelters. As a result, the Florida Department of Management Services realized emergency shelters needed to be retrofitted with emergency generators to provide power to these sites in the event of natural disasters.
The Florida Department of Management Services selected Hanson to work at 19 sites throughout the state, conducting on-site power assessments. This project included evaluating existing electrical distribution systems and determining cost-effective methods to provide emergency generator backup power for each site.
The completed assessment reports provided a description of the specific shelter site, a conceptual design to provide generator backup power, and an estimate of probable construction costs for the state’s use in developing program budgets. Additionally, Hanson sized each generator to handle the operations in each building designated as a special needs shelter.
Upon receipt of funding, the Florida Department of Management Services retained Hanson to provide the design and contract documents for each of these sites. Hanson’s tasks included electrical, mechanical and architectural consulting for installation of the generators, associated power distribution, and fuel storage.
Hanson also previously assisted the client in 2005 and 2006, assessing 17 special needs shelters.