Located one hour west of Washington, DC, and Dulles International Airport, Frederick County is the northernmost point in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with Winchester as its county seat. Formed in 1743, the county currently has a total area of 415 miles and a population of about 75,000. rn
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General contractor Howard Shockey & Sons built a two-story, 70,000-square-foot building near the Winchester Regional Airport to combine the offices of the Frederick County 911 Call Center, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fire and Rescue headquarters.rnrnKnown as the Department of Public Safety Communications, the county’s 911 Call Center is responsible for receiving emergency calls within Frederick County and dispatching fire and rescue and law enforcement units as needed. Public safety is the single most important mission for the entire building. In addition, an 8,000-sq-ft, single-story ancillary building was constructed to house an evidence lab and processing rooms, vehicle forensic and maintenance bays, and law enforcement storage.rnrnHaving a reliable backup power system to protect these vital public safety networks was an integral part of the design/build blueprint from day one, according to Gary Ball, project coordinator for general contractor Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. of Winchester, VA. rnrnLee Anna Pyles, director of public safety communications for Frederick County, says the heart and soul of the new complex was founded on the provision of emergency services. There was no room for a failed response for any one of these first responders. rnrnThe county has 14 full-time communications officers with at least two on duty 24/7/365. All EMD-certified, these officers answer 911 and non-emergency phone calls and dispatch the calls for service. “We manage law enforcement and fire/EMS for the county and for the towns of Middletown and Stephens City