Expanded training capacity, improved simulation labs, an enhanced emergency operations center, and comprehensive fleet maintenance capabilities are among the key features of St. Charles County (MO) Ambulance District’s [SCCAD] state-of-the-art headquarters facility, which opened this week. The facility was completed ahead of schedule and under budget by nearly $2 million.
“The opening of this facility represents a milestone in the history of our organization,” said SCCAD Chief Kelly Cope. “When planning every detail throughout the design and construction process, we considered the needs of the District not only today, but also decades into the future.”
The new building consolidates operations from five existing SCCAD facilities – administration, training, and finance/human resources buildings in St. Peters, a logistics and fleet maintenance facility in Cottleville and a non-emergency transfer hub in O’Fallon.
“Though we’re excited about many facets of this all-inclusive project, we’re particularly enthusiastic about the training capabilities it affords our team and the community at large,” said Cope. “The flexible space can accommodate over 200 individuals in a single room when fully utilized, enabling us to host a variety of training opportunities for first responders in our region.
In total, the facility measures just over 140,000 square feet; just over half of which is allocated to operational needs such as supply chain management and non-emergency transfer division.
Compared with existing facilities, the new building more than doubles the District’s in-house fleet maintenance capabilities. In addition, the expansive garage space for the first time enables large specialty assets such as the AmbuBus and Major Incident Response Vehicle to be housed indoors out of the elements.
O’Fallon-based LCS Construction led general contracting efforts for the building, which was designed by ArchImages. Navigate Building Solutions provided construction management services. Hundreds of local trades professionals played an active role in bringing the facility online. Design discussions began in mid-2018, with construction commencing in January 2020. The facility’s completion is approximately two months ahead of schedule and came in nearly $2 million below the budgeted $32.8 million.
The consolidated headquarters is the largest project in the Ambulance District’s 10-Year capital improvement plan, which was financed by voters’ overwhelming approval of Proposition Ambulance – a general obligation bond issue, in August 2018. The plan also includes construction of EMS stations in areas of growth, purchase of ambulances and other response vehicles, and procurement of lifesaving medical equipment.
