UF Health Jacksonville Incident Command Center Becomes Reality

UF Health Jacksonville, Florida — through a $150,000 donation made by the Stellar Foundation — has relocated its incident command center to a more expansive, secure and functional space with improved technology and communication capabilities. The UF Health Jacksonville Hospital Incident Command Center assists the hospital in emergency management planning, response and recovery for various scenarios such as large-scale special events, hurricanes, pandemics and other crises.

The UF Health Jacksonville Hospital Incident Command Center upgrade was on the minds of hospital leaders long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the center has been utilized extensively ever since, further proving the need for an improved space. The project was a passion of the late Dr. Leon Haley Jr., who served as CEO from 2018 until his passing in July 2021.

As an integrated design, engineering, construction, refrigeration and mechanical services firm, Stellar’s crews provided onsite assistance with renovating the new space, which was formerly located in the administrative suite at the downtown campus and is now located in the campus basement. The repurposed space was an old training area and is larger than what the incident command team had before.

The new facility includes upgraded meeting rooms, multi-functional workstations, updated technology infrastructure and communication tools that allow emergency personnel to better react and respond to a crisis. The team can also meet virtually with decision makers at the health system’s other campuses and communicate with local and federal emergency operation centers, as needed.