Panama City Commission accepts more grant funding for two future safe rooms

PANAMA CITY − Local officials took action on Tuesday to be prepared for future natural disasters.

Panama City commissioners on Tuesday agreed to accept more grant funding to help build two future safe rooms in Panama City. Here's what we know.

What are safe rooms?

Safe rooms are rooms that are storm hardened, allowing first responders to remain safe and better service the area in the face of future disasters.

Officials have said the need for these rooms became apparent in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that decimated many areas of the city in October 2018.

"We learned after Hurricane Michael that ... we have inadequate facilities for our Panama City Police Department," City Manager Mark McQueen said. "We also have inadequate facilities for our Fire Department. These are our first responders who need to come to the aid of our citizens after a disaster."

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What did commissioners approve Tuesday?

They approved two resolutions related safe rooms slated to be built in Panama City.

The first resolution accepts a more than $192,000 grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. This money will add to an approximately $908,000 grant the city received in December 2021 to build the Emergency Operations Center Safe Room. It will be located behind the Panama City Police Station.

"This is all part of our overall objective to have a public safety complex," McQueen said. "This will become the first phase of that entire activity."

The second resolution accepted a more than $71,000 grant increase from DEO for the construction of another safe room for the city's public works department. DEO in September 2022 gave Panama City a grant of more than $31,000 for the project. That grant was then increased to almost $103,000.

Is Panama City working to add any other safe rooms?

Along with the Emergency Operations Center Safe Room and Public Works Safe Room, the city also is working to build safe rooms at Fire Station 3, Fire Station 4 and the city's utilities department.

Local officials already have agreed to enter into contract negotiations with VBA Design Inc. for the design of these safe rooms.

They also have agreed to enter into contract negotiations with DAG Architects Inc. for the design of safe rooms at the utilities and public works department.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City accepts more money to create safe rooms against storms