Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center
Arlington, TX
Expertise
- Municipal
Services
- electrical engineering
- mechanical / plumbing engineering
Size
- 15,900 SF
BHB provided MEP engineering services for a 10,800 SF renovation with a 5,100 SF addition for the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center. The project serves to expand the existing emergency operations center and patrol/911 dispatch center. Electrical design included the addition of a second emergency generator rated at 600 kW and a 50 kVA uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A new 8,000 gallon, UL2085, above-ground diesel fuel tank was provided to supply seven days of emergency power run time for the new and existing generators in the event of an extended utility power outage.
The new dispatch center has 32 stations, each provided with receptacles connected to both emergency and UPS power sources. Electrical design also included extension of the existing lightning protection system to new roof areas and a new analog addressable fire alarm system throughout the existing three-story office building and two-story jail.
Mechanical system design included the addition of three new packaged rooftop units utilizing compressorized cooling and electric heat, for a total of 32 tons of cooling. Two rooftop units were variable volume with downstream variable air volume (VAV) boxes and electric reheat for maximum zone comfort. A new Liebert computer room air conditioning unit was designed to supplement cooling to the existing data center located in the emergency operations center (EOC), which allowed the rooftop units to provide backup cooling. Mechanical design also included an emergency air scrubber system that can be activated in the event of an airborne chemical release and will allow the EOC to remain operational and supplied with clean outside air.
Key People
-
Richard J. Watters, PE
Richard J. Watters, PE
Chief Operations Officer | Senior Mechanical Engineer
Richard Watters came to BHB after working with a design-build contractor in the area for two years. As an active member of BHB’s leadership team, Richard manages some of the firm’s multiple long-term engineering projects, including healthcare, commercial, oil and gas, retail, and municipal. He is experienced in sustainable design, energy studies/audits, design-build, hospitality, data centers, critical environments, medical gas systems, and construction administration.
Richard has been named one of the Top 40 Engineers Under 40 in the country by Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine and one of the Top 20 Engineers Under 40 in our region by Engineer News-Record magazine.
In the office, his hands-on style has helped him successfully find solutions for clients and mentor young engineers. Outside of the office, Richard has been past president of the Fort Worth Chapter of ASHRAE and has been active with various student organizations as a guest speaker or project sponsor; he also travels back to Texas A&M to guest lecture and has sponsored projects for the construction science department at Texas A&M.
With his wife Yesenia, he enjoys being outside with their kids, traveling, working on multiple home improvement projects, and helping others. They have sponsored scholarships for children in El Salvador, his wife’s native country, who would otherwise not have access to advanced education. In addition to these, they also have four annual scholarships locally at TCU and UNT. Expanding on this desire to provide resources and forward momentum for everyone, Richard is also a founding board member of the Paul Schulte Foundation, a non-profit organization with a goal to empower, inspire, and facilitate individuals with disabilities.
Project Experience
Arlington Animal Services Center
Doss Heritage and Culture Center
Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center
Star-Telegram Building
Texas Wesleyan University Jack and Jo Willa Morton Fitness Center
Education
Texas A&M University:
Master’s Degree/2001/Mechanical Engineering
The University of Texas at El Paso:
Bachelor’s Degree/1997/Mechanical Engineering