FARMINGTON, Utah — Before Friday, Davis County had never had a dedicated Emergency Operation Center, even as the third-most populous county in the state spans 15 cities with more than 300,000 people.
“It’s growing so much; we need the upgraded services. This will be a lot more upgraded and handle a lot more," said Kaysville resident Bruce Jeffs.
Bruce and his wife, Marianne, have lived in Davis County for more than half a century, through floods and fires.
Throughout the decades, the Jeffs have clearly seen a lot, but Friday was their first time seeing a building in their county as equipped as the one that debuted.
Davis County Emergency Manager Ember Herrick says she’s excited to step into the role.
“It really is the time with all this growth going on to be able to think about are we building smart, building safe, and what are we doing to prepare our communities," said Davis County Emergency Manager Ember Herrick.
Before Herrick stepped into the role, emergency management was typically run by a sheriff’s deputy. But over the past several years, the Davis County Sheriff's Office has worked with other entities to make this vision come to life and to better prepare the community for emergencies.
The new building is more than 17,000 square feet, and is engineered to withstand earthquakes.
“We’re really trying at the county level to create tools that make everyday families' lives easier and safer,” explained Herrick.
The EOC will also offer classes and training, which is what the Jeffs are most excited about.
“Well, we are ham radio operators, and we have meetings here at the sheriff’s facility. They allow us to come in once a month, and we’re excited; they came and talked about it to our ham radio people, and we’re excited to see it," said Marianne Jeffs.
As people toured the facility on Friday, they said they already felt safer knowing there are more resources available to their community.
