Emergency Operations Center and Dispatch Center

For years, the Dorchester County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Consolidated Dispatch Center operated out of outdated space not rated for hurricane-force winds or seismic activity. With the size and condition of the current EOC in mind, County Council approved the construction of a new state-of-the art facility to house the EOC and Consolidated Dispatch Center. The new facility was also planned to centralize the County's Information Technology Infrastructure.

The new EOC has been built in the northwest corner of the Dorchester County Law Enforcement Complex located on Deming Way near Summerville and includes the following: 

The budget for this project is $12,698,162 and is funded by Series 2019 General Obligation Bonds and Capital Funds.

As of May 2024, the EOC is operational with both Consolidated Dispatch and Emergency Management occupying their new space. 

Ladson Road Fire and EMS Station

Dorchester County Government held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Ladson Road Fire and EMS Station on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Elected officials, community leaders, and honored guests gathered together to celebrate the completion of the newly built station located at 4214 Ladson Road.

The new station is one of the Oakbrook TIF District priorities and was primarily funded through TIF limited obligation bonds as well as ARPA funds. This state-of-the-art facility will serve one of the fastest growing areas in Dorchester County. It is equipped with heated bays for all-season training and includes a decontamination entrance for ensuring staff safety and to prevent the spread of hazardous materials. It is also Dorchester's first station to be fully integrated with smart technology that incorporates the new automated dispatch system into the construction of the facility and also features an option for growth that accommodates additional bay expansion ensuring scalability as the needs of our community evolve.

Funding

Design Build Construction submitted the lowest base bid, which includes three drive-through bays, for $3,309,025.00, which was over the established budget of $3M funded by TIF limited obligation bonds. County Council approved additional ARPA funding in the amount of $634,306.00 at the regularly-scheduled February 07, 2022 meeting. 

Law Enforcement Center Renovation

Investigators, Warrants, and Victims Advocate are currently housed in leased modular units originally intended to be temporary solutions to overcrowded situations. Remodeling the Annex will offer a more permanent solution to the overcrowding while disposing of the leased units. The Sheriff's Office does not currently have a public-access restroom. The new lobby will be built to include a public restroom for visitors and will allow for increased lobby seating. The new receptionist area will have bullet-proof glass between the lobby & receptionist for employee safety. The inner lobby area located in the center of the building is utilized primarily by visiting officials waiting to see the Sheriff. Also located in this area are the duty officers and warrants clerks, all of whom oftentimes discuss private and sensitive information with victims and/or other agencies.

This project impacts Delivery of County Services as well as the safety of County employees and law enforcement assets. It is aligned with the County's Strategic Plan that was adopted in 2019.

The Crime Lab, Evidence Storage and Investigators will expand into the second floor of the Annex and will include updated forensic equipment. The Warrants division, Traffic division, K-9 division and other support divisions currently housed in the offsite leased modular units will be relocated to the remodeled Annex. The public lobby area will be expanded for additional seating and access to a public restroom. Finishes throughout the building will be updated to accommodate more employees of the Sheriff's Department.

The renovations are anticipated to occur in two phases and coincide with the completion of the new EOC building. This renovation is being funded by 2019 General Obligation Bonds, as well as approved funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Demolition of the old jail annex commenced on October 3rd, 2022 and is currently nearing completion after unexpected delays involving the load-bearing walls. Former exterior doorways have been blocked in and new interior openings have been installed. 

Project schedule was briefly revised at the end of 2022 to better align with the Emergency Operations Center project. 

The latest project schedule projects a tentative completion date of late July/early August 2024.

Summers Corner Fire and EMS Station

The development agreement (DA) with Lennar for East Edisto provides that the County will construct and operate a joint EMS and Fire station in the Summers Corner Community. The DA requires that construction begin at the time of the issuance of the 500th CO, but was amended to remove this requirement, with increased funding from Developer.

An architectural & engineering contract was executed with Boomerang Design in August 2020. Programming was completed, and schematic plans were approved. The County and Lennar, working with their respective consultants, then located a site within the community that will serve as the station’s location.

Lennar and Dorchester County's Planning and Zoning staff have been working together to ensure compliance with proper zoning. The County has confirmed that the proposed site is suitable for the station location. 

As of July 2024, the final set of plans have been received, and Design Build provided an ROM which is currently under review. 

Jedburg Fire Station

ADC has completed a site assessment and test fit of the proposed property. The results of
the geotechnical survey were satisfactory.

Coroner's Office

Dorchester County is constructing a new Coroner's Office to address their growing space needs. This development will enhance our capacity to serve the community efficiently and effectively.

TUPCO provided the final proposal and plan set which are under review. The County
anticipates executing the work order by the end of July. The geotechnical survey will be
completed in mid-July by ECS.