GCEC Approved for Funding to Build Hurricane Safe Room

We are pleased to inform our members that Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, in conjunction with the Gulf County Division of Emergency Management, has been approved for funding to start the process of building a hurricane safe room. This phased project will design and construct a hurricane safe room to provide near-absolute life safety protection for workers in the event of a land-falling hurricane or extreme wind event. This hurricane safe room will protect first responders and other critical/essential services personnel of both GCEC and Gulf County, as well as their mutual aid partners and other partners necessary for immediate response activities after the extreme weather event.

The proposed safe room will be approximately 4,000 square feet and will protect approximately 140 first responders and critical/essential services personnel from GCEC and Gulf County. Having these critical resources close and protected will provide both GCEC and Gulf County with the ability to begin response operations and damage assessment as soon as the ‘all clear’ signal is given. This quick start to response operations will allow both GCEC and Gulf County to more quickly assess their damages and provide necessary assistance in a timely manner. As your electric cooperative, we are proud to announce this award and want you to know that we are doing everything we can to make our response time to you the member, the best it can possibly be.