FOLEY – A new safe room for first responders is on track to be ready by the 2027 hurricane season following recent action by the Foley City Council.
At its meeting on Monday, Oct. 6, the council voted to seek construction bids for the project. Plans call for the facility to be approximately 10,000 square feet with space for up to 200 people. The building will be constructed to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour and will be equipped with a 400-kilowatt generator capable of operating on either natural gas or diesel fuel.
The safe room will also include kitchen facilities and accommodations needed to house emergency personnel during hurricanes or other major disasters.
Foley City Administrator Mike Thompson said the city expects to have the facility completed by 2027.
“We hope to be able to select a contractor in November, with construction beginning by early or mid-January,” Thompson said. “The build time is expected to take about 14 to 16 months, so we should have a completed safe room in time for the 2027 hurricane season.”
While the facility will primarily serve as a secure shelter for first responders during severe weather, Thompson said it will also be used throughout the year for training and emergency preparedness exercises.
“This facility will help us during storms, but it will also provide valuable space for training classes and exercises for our first responders,” he said. “We’re excited about the benefits it will bring to our city.”
Most of the project’s cost will be covered by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Foley began working with FEMA on the project following Hurricane Sally’s impact on the Alabama Gulf Coast in 2020.
The safe room will be located on North Poplar Street, just north of the new Foley Public Works campus now under construction and south of East Berry Avenue.