Monday, December 15, 2008
Minivan 1; Regional Public Safety Center 0.
No one was hurt when an elderly woman plowed a minivan into the Prescott Regional Public Safety Communication Center on South Cortez Street Monday morning, police said.
The building entryway did not fare as well, said Lt. Ken Morley, spokesman for the Prescott Police Department.
Two metal doors, the frame around the doors and an area inside the entryway suffered significant damage, Morley said.
Medical personnel checked the 79-year-old driver at the scene and released her, Morley said. No one else was hurt and a repair crew began work on the entrance immediately.
The unnamed woman was pulling into a parking space in front of the communications center when she accidentally hit the accelerator, Morley said.
Security people will guard the entrance until repair personnel make repairs.
The communication center handles emergency calls for eight area police and fire agencies 24 hours a day, according to the City of Prescott’s website. Center employees answer more than 20,000 phone calls a month.
The accident did not interrupt the center’s ability to handle emergency service calls Morley said.
Editorial note: This story should one again underscore the need for physical security of 9-1-1 and dispatch centers that keeps vehicles away from the building. Oklahoma City and the first WTC attack stand as examples of the damage that can be done by a truck bomb, however it doesn’t have to be a terrorist – just someone with a grudge. Grandma with her van gave this building quite a whack by accident. Some bollards, planters, or earth work would have easily kept her from getting this close.
