Construction on the new South Australian Emergency Services Headquarters in Keswick is progressing. The purpose-built facility will see the headquarters for the Country Fire Service (CFS), Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS), State Emergency Service (SES), and the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) co-located for the first time.
The new headquarters, which is currently being developed by Axiom Properties Limited, includes the construction of a four-storey office building for more than 300 staff as well as a multi-level car park, a storage facility, parking for heavy vehicles and landscaping.
The facility, located at 33 Richmond Road on the edge of Adelaide’s CBD, has been designed to withstand natural disasters, such as earthquakes and flood events with provisions for backup power, water as well as wastewater storage.
Yesterday Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall, and Emergency Services Minister, Vincent Tarzia, toured the site for a first-hand look at the progression of the project.
“This critical piece of infrastructure for our state is well on track to be finished before South Australia’s next fire danger season and will be a huge weapon for our amazing emergency service workers and volunteers to protect lives.”
Minister Tarzia said the build is progressing rapidly and is expected to be delivered by the 2021/22 bushfire season.
“Delivering this state-of-the-art building in time for the next bushfire season means our Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel will be better prepared for catastrophic events like bushfires, floods and storms.”
“The building has a post-disaster Importance Level 4 rating, which allows the ESS staff and volunteers to continue their paramount work up to 48 hours in isolation, even during times where major infrastructure may fail,” he shared.
SAFECOM Project Manager, Joan Dobbie, added that the new headquarters and State Control Centre is a much-needed facility for the ESS and will provide enhanced technology for staff and volunteers.
“It’s exciting to know how much closer we are to ensuring our state’s ESS staff and volunteers are equipped with the enhanced capabilities they need to serve the South Australian community.”
Pike Constructions commenced construction on the Emergency Services Headquarters in July 2020. At the time it was estimated that the project would generate nearly 200 construction jobs and inject an estimated economic benefit of more than $50 million into local industry by incorporating a majority of South Australian materials such as steel and concrete.