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If Portland were hit by a major disaster 鈥� such as an earthquake, a volcanic eruption or a major flood 鈥� trained city and county staffers would be prepared to lead disaster response out of an emergency coordination center.

At the moment, however, that response would be delayed. The city’s existing emergency communications hub is in two disconnected rooms in the 911 center on Southeast 99th Avenue. Those rooms are far from the main offices of the Portland Office of Emergency Management, in downtown. And because those rooms have different uses 鈥� one is a classroom 鈥� during the day, one to two hours would be needed to get the center up and running.

Plans are in action to address that problem, however. After a 2007 exercise performed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the need for a consolidated, complete emergency coordination center became obvious, said Dan Douthit, a spokesman for POEM. In 2009, the city hired MWA Architects to design a building to house a center, across the street from the 911 center, at 3732 S.E. 99th Ave. The design is done, and the city plans to issue a request for proposals for a construction contractor as early as September.

鈥淲hat we use right now is a day-to-day training room. It can be configured to work as a coordination center, but it’s not designed as one,鈥� Douthit said.

鈥淲e’ve never had one of the size that the city needs,鈥� said Roger Hediger, Portland Water Bureau security coordinator.

The new Emergency Coordination Center building will house the emergency center, as well as offices for Portland Office of Emergency Management and the water bureau’s emergency and security teams.

Staffers from city bureaus, Multnomah County and emergency response groups will use the center as a communications hub in the event of an emergency. For natural disasters, the center will be the focal point for leaders.

鈥淐ommunications is the most critical part of any emergency operation,鈥� Hediger said.

The emergency center will include one main room and other break-off areas. In the main area, operations, finance, logistics, planning, communications and leadership teams will work in workspace 鈥減ods.鈥� The main room will have screens so that television news can be monitored and special software can be used to coordinate necessary tasks.

Separate rooms will be available for the media, and city councilors and other politicians to monitor what’s being done.

The building would be able to function following a natural disaster 鈥� even if other communications, electricity and water systems were knocked out.

鈥淭he building is designed to withstand the expected subduction zone quake and continue operating,鈥� said Jim Coker, a supervising project manager from the city’s office of management and finance facilities services.

The new emergency coordination center will be available to handle large, natural disasters, but will also replace the water bureau’s coordination center, which is put into action more frequently. In April 2010, the water bureau used its emergency center to coordinate response to the E. coli contamination of a reservoir.

Because it is set up as an emergency center, the water bureau’s facility is occasionally loaned to other agencies for training. But it doesn’t serve the need either 鈥� it has been in a modular building for about 10 years.

鈥淚t’s not really designed for seismic safety, and the building is not large enough for a citywide operation,鈥� Hediger said.

The new building will be set up to accommodate a large-scale operation. The $19.8 million, 28,500-square-foot building is being paid for with money from POEM and the water bureau, and $4 million from an emergency bond passed last year. POEM and the water bureau rent their existing facilities.

Coker expects contract documents to be completed 鈥渁ny day now,鈥� and predicts the project will go out to bid around Oct. 1. Construction is expected to cost approximately $11 million and require 18 months. Work will include the building 鈥� designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold 鈥� and a parking lot and nearby street adjustments. The building is scheduled to open in mid-2013.