Power Back On At Jail; A/C Repairs To Total $2.55 Million

June 26, 2012

The price tag is in at $2.55 million for repairs to the air conditioning systems at the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Center that were destroyed during a June 9 flood.

Power has been restored to the facility, but it air conditioning continues to be provided by chiller units mounted on 18-wheelers outside the facility.

The total price tag is $2,548,861 to restore the mechanical systems that serve the Central Booking and Detention and the Central Energy Plant, which also provides chilled water for the cooling systems at Sheriff’s administration building, the jail complex and Juvenile Justice Center.

A portion of the total cost — $392,210 — was an initial purchase order to provide the emergency services and rental equipment necessary to restore services on a temporary basis.

The proposal by Engineered Cooling Services is expected to be approved Thursday by the Escambia County Commission. The BOCC will not accept bids on the project; the no-bid purchases are allowed under state law because Escambia County was under a state of emergency when the losses occurred.

Pictured: Flooding June 9 at the Escambia County Jail. File photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

13 Responses to “Power Back On At Jail; A/C Repairs To Total $2.55 Million”

  1. David Huie Green on June 27th, 2012 3:16 pm

    Years back an auto manufacturer recalled several hundred thousand cars because the windshield wipers only worked when dry. Whodathunk?

    New Orleans had pumps with motors and backup generators which were below sea level. It didn’t matter when the levy was breached but they also shut down during flooding, were destroyed by flooding and couldn’t contribute toward drying the city after the hole was plugged.

    (Of course this was the same people who took money intended to be used to maintain and improve the levy and bought casinos with it. It seemed like a safe bet at the time.)

    The big question one might consider is whether or not the replacement will be destroyed by the next big rain?
    If not, why not?
    If so, why rebuild the same way?

    David for comfortable inmates and guards

  2. Walnut Hill Roy on June 27th, 2012 7:18 am

    I specifically didn’t name anyone in my original comment, I’m sure that building the jail in that location predates Sheriff Morgan, however (big however), someone needs top step up to the plate and fix the problem. The solution could be anything from a diesel generator and pumps to moving the jail, but a solution needs to be found. By the time that all of the repair expenses are added up for this catastrophe, it wouldn’t take too many times to build a new jail.

  3. 429SCJ on June 27th, 2012 5:37 am

    Is Sheriff Morgan the only one at the department that can make a decision?

    The Wing Commander does not handle these matters, except when the Base Commander drops the ball. Are there any majors, captains even leiutenants at ECSO?

    Does Sheriff Morgan micromanage everything or has any of the responsibilities
    of operations, been delegated to subordinates? Staff who have been there for years and have seen this happen before should have spoke up, rather than taking an oh well I don’t like Morgan, I’ll just sit back and see the look on his face attitude.

    I bet the ECSO is an interesting work enviroment. Glad I do not have to know.

  4. Crystal on June 26th, 2012 5:26 pm

    I am with Tax Payer…..im not sure why we would spend that much money on an AC for the Jail. Some states house inmates outside, in states as hot or hotter than here….2.55 Million? wow

  5. chris1 on June 26th, 2012 4:39 pm

    “MOlino jim” reply.I guess all of the other people in the Pensacola area who had cars and homes damaged should be blamed for not pre planing.”

    I DONT PAY FOR THEM.
    I DO pay for this incompetence.

  6. chris1 on June 26th, 2012 4:37 pm

    WHO IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE?
    Guess who pays for it? Look in the mirror.
    I worked half a mile from the ail for 20 years and saw this nearly happen 10 times,
    Nobody got the clue. But………..nothing happened to them.

  7. Richard on June 26th, 2012 2:39 pm

    So if you have staff people who know this happens and have seen it happen before and you don’t prepare for it, like Morgan did not do, it’s not his fault? Explain that one to me please, MOlino Jim. The Sheriff before him took measures to keep this from happening.

  8. Cheryl on June 26th, 2012 12:04 pm

    Pretty sure the red Corvette belongs to Sheriff Morgan.

  9. MOlino jim on June 26th, 2012 9:35 am

    I guess all of the other people in the Pensacola area who had cars and homes damaged should be blamed for not pre planing. I’m guessing the red Corvette in the photo is not a S.O. vehicle. There is a run off problem that is not Morgans fault. It took a flood on main street to get the ECUA treatment plant moved. Ask around if anyone wants to pay for a new jail and you’ll find very few who are interested in paying higher taxes.

  10. northend voter on June 26th, 2012 8:45 am

    You are getting a good look at David Morgan’s incompetence. He is not doing a good job running the Sheriff’s Office. The S/O is self insured. All of those expensive vehicles ruined. I understand some of the Harley Davidson motorcycles were ruined. Morgan has shown what he can do. He can organize trash pick-ups in neighborhoods. I don’t want a Solid Waste Sheriff, Sir David Morgan needs to go. William could you get us a monetary cost of the damage on all of those vehicles. I saw one crime scene vehicle under water also.

  11. Taxpayer on June 26th, 2012 7:38 am

    Sheriff’s Dept. vehicles should never have been left behind the Sheriff’s Dept. building to get covered in water. The Sheriff’s Dept. is a 24-hour facility. Surely, someone with a little bit of umph in them could have moved those expensive vehicles that we taxpayers paid for. Laziness, pure laziness.

  12. Walnut Hill Roy on June 26th, 2012 6:41 am

    Just remember who’s paying for the repairs! What mitigation efforts are being take to prevent this from happening again if we get another bad storm or a hurricane? Paying for the same repairs twice might make us throw some people out of office and replace them.

  13. Tax Payer on June 26th, 2012 5:51 am

    Why do they need a/c? Other crimial facilities in the state do not have a/c. Even those facilities further south where it is much hotter.