Calibre-S2O Leading Design and Construction of Dedicated Swiftwater Rescue Training Center in Houston
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO—Flooding is the No. 1 weather-related cause of death in Texas. As Texas’ population grows and becomes more urbanized and as flood frequency increases due to climate and land use factors, swift water rescues will become more common. To address this growing risk, Harris Fort Bend Emergency Services District #100 has contracted with Calibre Engineering and their S2O Whitewater Division (Calibre-S2O) to design and build the Swift Water Training for Operation and Rescue Missions (STORM) facility in Houston.
Located on a 27-acre site in Houston, the $65 million, 25,000-square-foot facility will feature a large swift-water channel, 2.2-acre dive, powerboat, flatwater training pond, and an urban flood rescue simulator to allow rescue personnel to train in flooded streets and buildings. In the urban flood rescue simulator, massive pumps will move a high volume of water into a mock village including mock streets and buildings, simulating a flood event in controlled, true urban environment.
“From simulating realistic swift water scenarios to providing controlled environments for skill development, this facility will be invaluable in its ability to deliver vital hands-on training,” said Dale Terry, ESD 100 board president. “Regional emergency response teams will no longer depend on finding a creek or river flowing at an ideal level to create the proper conditions for this vital training. With just the push of a button, the water can be turned on and off. This will allow us to train more first responders in a more realistic environment in order to be fully ready for the next hurricane.”
The Swift Water Training Facility will provide the potential for a multitude of training scenarios, including immersed vehicle, boat, and high-ropes rescues. The project’s “Main Street” will feature a two-story residential building, a sunken residential building with pitched roof, a high ropes tower, and a mock two-story care facility with a flat roof that connects to the high ropes tower. It includes realistic streetscape conditions with such features as narrowed street intersections, utility poles, a rocky gorge area, and a low-head dam simulating varying water levels for high performance, scenario-based training.
In addition to the main training area, the campus will have a classroom training center, a cafeteria, retail space, and housing for visiting trainees. The Swift Water Training Facility is expected to train up to 6,000 personnel per year from local and regional partners.
Calibre-S2O is the project lead and is delivering the design of the core training simulations. Additional project partners include Cloward H2O, Liquid Design, and Norris Design.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work with ESD #100 on creating a state-of-the-art water rescue training facility that will greatly benefit the city and the region,” said Scott Shipley, founder of S2O Design, now part of Calibre Engineering. “More often, we apply our skillset crafting whitewater-based recreation facilities, but designing projects like this to train first responders is both incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding.”
Visit www.s2odesign.com or calibre-engineering.com.
