Horry County Emergency Operations Center to open Wednesday

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) -- The dedication and grand opening ceremony for the new Randall S. Webster Emergency Operations & Communications Center will be held on Wednesday, in the middle of hurricane season.

“It’s near completion and I know the teams both emergency management and 9-1-1 are very excited to get in there,” said Thomas Bell, Public Information Officer.

The new center will have a state-of-the-art dispatch communications department, ready to serve all of Horry County.

“It has lots of expanded capabilities both in terms of the day-to-day work the teams do, especially with 9-1-1 call taking and dispatching,” said Bell.

This will be the main command center when severe weather hits. with top officials in one building, making way for an easy one-stop shop for information gathering and briefings.

Conway residents are excited for the new facility to open, saying it gives them a sense of security, knowing important decisions for the county will be made there.

“I think it’s good because you never know what can happen in a time of a storm. You never know what kind of emergency can happen,” said Naieleshia Sellers, of Conway.

Sellers has lived in Conway for 15 years and has been through some of the toughest storms, so she is well prepared with her emergency kit.

“We have band-aids, flashlights, non-perishable food items, and water,” said Sellers.

Officials add, you should have enough food and water to last at least three days.

“Having the kit stocked with those items can help save lives if you need to evacuate or are staying in your residence,” said Bell.

Alichia Hamilton is newer to the neighborhood of Conway, but also has a plan in place in an emergency.

“There are school evacuation centers that will be available, hotels I can stay at, or I could even stay with family until the storm passes,” said Hamilton.

This season is expected to be an active one, and with all of that activity officials say they will keep everyone up to date on their website and social media pages.

“As we head into labor day weekend, there are no immediate threats to Horry County right now, but it does remind us that hey any moment a storm could head this way and we just need to be ready for that,” said Bell.

The official opening ceremony will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31.