SF Emergency Operations Center

Built to Meet Emergency Demands

  • client

    San Francisco Public Works

  • location

    San Francisco, CA

  • size

    17,500 SF

San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management 911 Dispatch and Training Center is one of the nation’s busiest, handling more than 3,200 calls each day. TEF transformed the facility into a state-of-the-art emergency response hub, preserving critical operations while aligning with national standards and best practices.

Operations room viewed through large folding glass doors, with multiple computer workstations, wall-mounted monitoring displays, blue accent lighting, and a blurred person walking across the room.

Balancing Flexibility with Mission-Critical Standards

The 17,500-square-foot renovation accommodates 55 dispatcher workstations, with an elevated supervisor bridge offering clear sightlines across the dispatch floor. A technology-integrated training room, watch coordinator room, offices, locker facilities, and a break room round out the program; folding glass doors let the training room double as a classroom or expand dispatch capacity during surges. Upgraded power, data, and communications infrastructure support future technology and operational growth. The design team led extensive stakeholder engagement with dispatch staff, Public Works, Emergency Management, Fire, and Police to coordinate the project’s technical, security, operational, and performance requirements.

Emergency communications center with staff working at multi-monitor dispatch stations, large wall-mounted status displays, blue accent lighting, and a high ceiling with exposed ductwork.
Wide view of a busy emergency communications center with rows of dispatch workstations, staff at computers, wall-mounted monitoring screens, blue accent lighting, and a high corrugated ceiling with exposed ductwork.

Prioritizing User Comfort and Well-Being

Ergonomic adjustable workstations and seating, acoustically controlled dispatch zones, and dedicated spaces for decompression, peer support, and wellness were essential to creating a supportive work environment for dispatchers who operate under pressure. Amenities such as generous locker facilities for storing personal desktop tools, a double-height break room, and a private quiet room reduce stress, reinforce resilience, and help dispatchers stay focused and effective during emergencies.

Office locker and workstation area with rows of white and blue lockers, computer stations, and a blurred person walking through the space.

Phased Delivery in an Active Facility

TEF delivered the renovation in carefully planned and coordinated phases to sustain continuous operations throughout the building, working closely with the client and builders from pre-construction through construction completion to manage the technical and logistical complexities of an essential services facility. The team relocated dispatch staff to another floor in phases, rerouted power and data systems while sustaining required redundancies, and addressed construction noise, security, and logistics throughout.

Illuminated “San Francisco 911” sign with a city skyline graphic, mounted above a workstation partition with a dispatch status screen blurred in the background.

Team

Collaborators

  • Architect
    TEF / Min Design JV
  • Structural Engineer
    Structus
  • Mechanical and Plumbing Engineer
    MHC
  • Electrical Engineer
    ACG Engineers
  • Cost Estimating
    M Lee Corporation
  • Specifications
    Topflight Specs
  • Contractor
    CM West
  • Photographer
    Mikiko Kikuyama