Public Safety Correctional

Public Safety/Correctional

For more than half a century, Gillan & Hartmann, Inc. (G&H) has been providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection (MEP/FP) planning and design services to a variety of Public Safety and Correctional Facilities including the following:

311/911 Communication Centers
Detention Facilities
Fire Stations
Firing Ranges
Law Enforcement Administration

Municipal Jails
Police Departments
University Police & Safety
Prisons (Federal, State, Municipal)
Safety Training Facilities

The key strength of our Team rests with the Firm’s track record in providing engineering solutions for challenges faced by the prison/correctional community, and related facilities. G&H has completed more than 70 major projects for Public Safety and Correctional Facilities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Georgia and Connecticut. The Firm has in-depth and recent experience in working in these types of environments and is fully cognizant of security and safety issues.

Bloomsburg University – University Police

Bloomsburg, PA

As Prime Professional, Gillan & Hartmann provided programmatic design, construction documents, and comprehensive construction administration of a new, high security Campus University Police Department. The building was adjoined to the Andruss Library Building, but separate for security. The new 24/7 Campus Police headquarters meets all requirements as a fully accredited Law Enforcement Facility.

The police facility provides a new radio dispatch center, monitored holding cells and observation/interview rooms, secure evidence room, night transfer evidence holding lockers and refrigerator, secure weapons/armory, gun cleaning HEPA filtration, roll call/meeting rooms, storage, and offices. The site construction was substantial in addressing the relocation of a campus domestic water main and steam underground distribution piping system building and site utilities, new 20 conduit communication duct banks, police vehicle parking, and landscaping. The mechanical and electrical systems to support the critical operations included dedicated space conditioning, temperature and humidity control, proper ventilation, precision automated temperature control, VAV, energy recovery, wet sprinkler systems, switchgear, dedicated 100% building back-up power, UPS protection, electrical distribution, LED lighting, security, fire alarm, and data network. The skills of highly qualified consultants were secured, including Architectural, Structural Engineering, and Civil Engineering. The energy efficient design also qualified for an energy rebate from the Utility Company, PP&L.

The design additionally involved many specialty low voltage systems, infrastructure, and campus distribution construction that included the following systems in support of the facility operations:

• Campus Distribution & Building Multi-Mode Fiber, Single Mode Fiber, and Copper Cables
• New Fire Alarm Head-end
• Campus Wide Fire Alarm Connection to Campus Building HUBS
• Camera System – Video/Sound Recording, Monitors, Multi-Camera Viewing
• Building Security and Access Systems – Card, Proximity, Online Hardwired, Online Wi-Fi, Offline, Biometric
• Campus Security and Access Connectivity
• Relocation Campus MASCOM System with New Antennas
• Relocation of Radio Console/Dispatch System, Encoder, and Gateway
• Relocation of Call Box RF Receiver
• Low Voltage Systems MDF Room
• 100% Emergency Power and UPS Protection

Marple Township Police Department – New Construction

Broomall, PA

Provided mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection design, construction documents, and construction administration of a new two-story, 24,000 square foot building to house a department of 30 personnel. The building includes separate areas for patrol officers, detectives, and juvenile officers along with rooms for video arraignments and conferences, and a fitness area. There are separate holding cells for juveniles, male and female officer locker rooms, secured evidence processing room, police evidence storage, vehicle investigation and prisoner transport garages, gated parking lot, and a training/multipurpose room outfitted with smartboards, televisions, video, and other electronics, and can serve as an emergency management center. The Marple Township Police Department has been accredited by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission administered through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

The police facility was engineered to provide a safe environment with a modern evidence room filtration system, containment safety hood, suicide prevention, monitored holding cells and observation/interview rooms, secure weapons/armory, and gun cleaning HEPA filtration. The mechanical and electrical systems to support the critical operations included dedicated space conditioning, temperature and humidity control, proper ventilation, automated temperature control, VAV airflow temperature control, energy recovery, MDF conditioning, wet sprinkler systems, new switchgear, emergency back-up power, electrical distribution, LED lighting, and specialty low voltage systems.

Specialty Systems Included:

• Fire Alarm
• Camera System – Video/Sound Recording, Monitors, Multi-Camera Viewing
• Radio Dispatch Center
• Building Security and Access Systems
• Data Network

Upper Darby Township Police

Delaware County, PA

The current three-story, self-contained Upper Darby Police Station and Emergency Response Center is the result of G&H’s adaptive re-use of a district school building in 1999. The firm provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing/fire protection engineering planning and design services for this complete renovation involving: totally new HV AC, plumbing/drainage, and electrical power distribution and fire protection systems. Additional projects included Emergency Generator and UPS System.

Initially, the firm is conducting an Existing Conditions Assessment, based on a physical survey of the mechanical equipment and interiors of the building. Working closely with the Township personnel, the G&H staff will then evaluate the major components of the existing HVAC system based on visual observation and equipment age. Recommended options will be made to the Township, including either upgrade or replacement of the existing system.

The challenge is determining how much of the existing HVAC system can be retained, while providing a new system to meet current energy efficiencies required by the Energy Code. G&H will use computer generated heating and cooling loads to evaluate the HVAC system’s operation.

Additionally, the proposed HVAC design must meet or exceed the current code mandated ventilation requirements and respond to changing conditions and occupant’s schedules. To mitigate excessive operating costs associated with increased ventilation rates, energy recovery equipment is used to recycle heat and cooling back into the building.

Police/Fire Department Facilities

Philadelphia, PA

For more than 40 years, Gillan & Hartmann has provided unparalleled Prime Professional AE Service to the City of Philadelphia, Department of Public Property (DPP). The Firm was Commissioned by the DPP to provide Overall Assessment, Engineering and Design Services for improvements to Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection (MEPFP), and Life Safety Systems, serving six (6) Police District Facilities and sixteen (16) Fire Department Facilities. All Police District Facilities are served by dedicated 100% capacity emergency generators, with sizes varying from 125KW to 600KW.

This project consists of three phases:

• Phase 1 – Engineering Assessment, Ranking of Remedial Construction Tasks, Comparison of Alternatives including conclusion and recommendation, Probable Cost Determinations, Survey/Confirmation of single line riser diagrams for all systems, and completion of an all-inclusive Executive Management Summary Report.
• The Report provided DPP the Executive Level Management Tool required to develop a multi-year capital improvement plan that best meets the City’s needs and budget.
• Phase III – Construction Contract Administration Phase.

Radnor Fire Company – New Construction

Wayne, PA

Project included the planning, siting and design of a new facility on a vacant lot. The facility is an 18,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art, two-story, seven bay new fire station. It accommodates five fire engines and two ambulances. The second floor was designed to provide space for Board Offices, a private office suite for the Fire Chief, and a 140-seat community meeting room. The facility includes a kitchen and dining area as well as sleeping and bath facilities for both men and women volunteer firefighters.

The facility was engineered to provide heating and air conditioning, proper ventilation, vehicle exhaust systems, hose drying, kitchen facilities, showers, laundry, emergency back-up power, fire alarm, and emergency response communication. This project received an award from the Greater Philadelphia Contractors Association.

Emergency Communications Center (911)

The County of Delaware, PA

Gillan & Hartmann, Inc. provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing/drainage engineering, planning and design for renovations of the old Watkins Building to the new Delaware County 911 Emergency Communications Center and Operator Training Facility. The project involved FEMA/PEMA assessment for Building HVAC and Electrical equipment requirements. G&H worked with Delaware County Officials to develop building system/construction requirements. The projects include the following:

• Electrical Switchgear and Panels
• 100% Back-Up Emergency Generators with fuel oil tanks and high performance stack exhaust systems
• Water Source Heat Pump System
• Gas Fired Condensing Boilers and Sustainable Building Management Control System
• Evaporative Cooling Towers
• Communication Systems and radio Antennas
• LAN Server Data Network with UPS protection/back-up and environmentally temperature controlled
• Building Security and Access Systems
• VH electrical and HVAC

ATF Firing Range/Training Facility

Altoona, PA

G&H was commissioned to design a small arms firing range/training facility for the ATF in Altoona, PA. The firing range is sited in an 80-foot wide building, and provides 20 firing lanes.

The Firm’s design for ventilation was developed in strict accordance with National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Standards, and uses a recirculating concept with High Efficiency (HEPA) filtration. An intermediate ducted exhaust system provides for the exhaust of 41,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

(Firing Range Floor Plan Layout of Firing Lanes image shows an 80 FT width.)

Federal Correctional Institution – New Construction

Danbury, CT

Gillan & Hartmann, Inc. was commissioned by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to design new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and drainage systems for the dormitory addition to its Danbury FCI facility. This institution houses 450 medium-security male inmates, a detention center, 300 cells, and common activity/recreation spaces.

The new dormitory systems encompass dining services, all M&E systems, complete and entire including all cell systems for sanitary conditions and heating in a secure environment. Critical elements involved the following:

• Inherent issues in a medium-security institution
• Individual cell and common space mechanical, plumbing, drainage systems and equipment, secure correctional facility perimeter baseboard hydronic heating
• Tamper proof/vandal proof installation with design-based details required to prevent suicide and concealment of contraband

East Jersey State Prison

Rahway, NJ

Located in Middlesex County, Rahway, NJ, the East Jersey State Prison provides maximum, medium, and minimum security programs for adult male offenders. The Bureau of State Use Industries/DEPTCOR operates clothing, metal fabrication, and furniture shops in the facility. Gillan & Hartmann, Inc. was commissioned by the DPMC to plan and design a modern, code compliant fire safety system in an occupied correctional facility. This project includes a smoke/fire alarm system for the over 100-year-old multi-story cell houses and new networked fire alarm panels in multiple site buildings, including the administration and the infirmary.

Constructed under occupied conditions, the system includes new addressable, networked fire alarm system for four multi-story cell houses and multiple auxiliary buildings. New equipment was carefully selected and installed to suit the occupancy requirements, including the following:

• Resistance to accidental/intentional abuse
• Prevention of tampering and concealment of contraband

Project challenges included the following:

• Design/specification of tamperproof devices
• Phased construction in an occupied secure correctional facility
• Detailed plans/specifications clearly defining all components and systems, and system tests prior to Owner acceptance with a minimum of Design Based Change Orders

Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility – The Food Factory

Philadelphia, PA

Significant savings and production improvements have resulted since Gillan & Hartmann, Inc. (G&H) developed the Operations, Maintenance and Support (OM&S) Program for a 25,000 meal-a-day food factory at the 2,000-inmate Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF). While the original OM&S plan for the entire CFCF excluded the prison system’s 25,000 meal-a-day Food Factory, excess maintenance cost from wear and tear led the City to commission a separate OM&S initiative that focused on the Food Factory’s equipment staffing and maintenance requirements.

The program provides instructions and procedures for startup and shutdown, normal operation, preventive maintenance and testing, failure mode maintenance, and regulatory requirement compliance. G&H’s role was to survey and catalog the Food Factory equipment, and to prepare specifications to incorporate preventive maintenance and repair provisions into existing food service or OM&S Contracts.

The Food Factory employs the cook-chill concept to provide meals to inmates at CFCF, four other prisons onsite, and several offsite prison facilities. It includes:

• A central chilled water system to cool the refrigerators using an ice storage technology
• A bakery and areas for meat preparation, cooling, vegetable/salad preparation, tray assembly, cart storage, receiving, and storage and distribution
• Quick-chill refrigerators for forklift insertion/retrieval of palletized food trays
• Satellite rethermalization units (including ovens, a cold box, and a preparation area) distributed throughout the facilities being served

G&H wrote the procedures and specifications for private contracting of the operations, maintenance, and support of the CFCF with a special emphasis on the Food Factory due to its constant exposure to severe usage by inmate labor. Initially, G&H was engaged by the City to develop a Master Plan for operating and maintaining large, new, existing, and/or newly renovated public facilities. G&H’s first assignment was for CFCF, the City’s newly completed, maximum security, state-of-the-art detention facility. The goals were to extend the useful life and minimize the disruption and high costs of major renovations under occupied conditions.

Philadelphia extended the successful OM&S approach used on CFCF, based on detailed performance specifications prepared by G&H, to four subsequent similar initiatives. The first was the CFCF Food Factory, and the second included three high-rise buildings in center city Philadelphia totaling 1.75 million square feet, known as the Tri-Plex. The Tri-Plex includes the Criminal Justice Center, the Municipal Services Building, and the One Parkway Building.

The cost of planning for operation is small compared to the cost of failing to plan.

G&H Federal, County, City – Safety Training Projects

Included among the Safety Training Projects completed for Federal, County and City Agencies are as follow:

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Altoona, PA: New Firing Range for Customs Agents
• Upper Merion Police Department, Ardmore, PA: New Firing Range
• State of Delaware, Dover, DE: Design – State Fire Training School – New 4,000 sq. ft. facility – Classrooms, Administrative Offices, and Support Space. Facility provides training to fire companies state-wide.
• Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard, Philadelphia, PA:
  Design – 3,000 sq. ft. Fire Test Laboratory and Instruction Facility
  Shipboard Fire Control Training Facility – Design of Reconfigurable Smoke Chamber
  Extensive renovations and expansion of the Main Base Rescue and Fire Station. The 20,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose facility serves as the first responder for all base fires and emergencies. Equipment includes pumpers, ladder trucks, and hazmat containment vehicles. Additionally, it serves as a training venue for structure and shipboard fires.

City of Philadelphia, Multiple Police Department and Fire Station Facilities:
G&H performed a comprehensive assessment of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for six (6) Police Department Facilities, and sixteen (16) Fire Station Facilities, at 29 locations throughout the City of Philadelphia, and developed a repair/maintenance planning protocol. These facilities included the critically important Police Administration Building and Police Stations at 3rd, 4th, 7th, 18th, 19th, 22nd, and 23rd Districts, under a G&H Prime Professional Architect/Engineer Commission. Renovation, repair, and modernization projects at these facilities included modernization of the main/secure elevator bank in the Police Administration Building, and installation of an Uninterruptible Power System (UPS).

Delaware County Courthouse, Lima, PA – Criminal Investigation Division
Comprehensive renovations, including sustainable design for HVAC systems modernization, analysis of requirements for air flow, air conditioning and ventilation for crime lab/photo lab/evidence storage. Design for modernization/improvements; design for supplemental cooling for document production area; renovations/improvements for prisoner’s holding area/tunnel; space planning.

Additional Representative Projects:

Fire Stations

G&H’s experience in fire station planning and design includes facilities for municipalities, federal and governmental agencies. Project experience includes new facilities, renovations, and additions. Representative projects include the following:

• Radnor Fire Company, Wayne, PA: New 18,000 square foot, 2-story facility.
• Lewes Fire Department, Lewes, DE: New 8,000 square foot facility.
• Cranston Heights Fire Company, New Castle, DE: New 3-story facility.
• Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA: Renovations to main rescue – fire station.
• Maryland Air National Guard Base, Middle River, MD: New fire pump/water supply building.
• Marcus Hook Fire Company, Marcus Hook, PA: New fire station.
• Chester Fire Department, Chester, PA: New fire station and civil defense facility.
• Chester Fire Station, Chester, PA: HVAC modifications to Building No. 82.
• Wilmington Department of Public Works, Wilmington, DE: Conversion of townhouse to fire house.

Law Enforcement Facilities

Gillan & Hartmann has a proven track record in police station, law enforcement administration, municipal jail, and communication center facilities planning and design, with representative projects including the following:

• City of Philadelphia – Renovation Planning and Operation Planning, and Contract Administration
  • 28 district police stations with related emergency response and fire station services
  • Renovations: Police Department Headquarters/The Round House
  • Police Department Forensics Lab
  • Criminal Justice Center
  • Family Services; One Parkway Building
  • Municipal Services Building
  • Security System Planning and Security Staff Planning
• Darby Township, Delaware County, PA: Police Headquarters and Community Building, Studevan Plaza.
• Police Administration Building, Upper Darby Township, Upper Darby, PA: Complete renovation/conversion of a district school building to a 3-story, self-contained Police Station and Emergency Response Center.
• 911 Communications Center, Watkins Building, Delaware County, Lima, PA: Facility expansion, including replacement/upgrade and expansion of all spaces, the program, and support utilities.
• Delaware County Courthouse – Criminal Investigation Division, Delaware County, Lima, PA:
  • Sustainable Design Highlights (Special Features):
    • Space planning and renovations
    • Increased ventilation in air for increased occupancy
    • Analyzed and modified air flow for air conditioning and ventilation for crime lab, photo lab, and evidence storage
    • Added supplemental cooling to document production area
    • Renovations – Prisoners tunnel and holding area
• City of Philadelphia Prison System
  • Renovation Services Planning – Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility, Woman’s Correctional Facility and Food Factory
  • Design of New Multi-Purpose Office High Security Building
• Plainsboro Municipal Building, Plainsboro, NJ: Renovations/Expansion – Evidence locker/storage facility
• National Firearms Unit, Altoona, PA: Firing Range Ventilation Study and Engineered Renovations/Modifications to meet NIOSH Standards
• Upper Merion Police Pistol Range, Upper Merion, PA: HVAC design for indoor pistol range

Correctional

G&H has acquired extensive experience in performing engineering assignments at correction institutions. Included among the performed projects at 15 federal, state, and municipal prisons are the following:

Federal Bureau of Prisons

• U.S. Federal Penitentiary Lewisburg, Lewisburg, PA
  Electrical Rehabilitation
  Energy Conservation
  Design of Dental Laboratories/Cafeteria/Kitchen Renovation
• Rehabilitation of Industry Facility Utilities Hospital Rehabilitation/Life Safety Renovations to Steam and Condensate Systems
• Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution, Minersville, PA
  Domestic Water Improvements
  New half-mile long, 10-inch water main
• Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, CT
  New Dormitory
• U.S. Federal Penitentiary, Atlanta, GA
  Renovations, Relocation of Industrial Sign Shop
• Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, NY
  New Prison Industrial Shops

Delaware State Department of Corrections

• Dover, DE
  Overview Study of State of Delaware Prison Facilities (68 Buildings)
• Sussex Correctional Institution, Sussex, DE
  Modernization, Renovation, Major Additions
• New Domestic Water Systems and Space Heating
• Gander Hill Prison, New Castle, DE
  Electrical Room Expansion & Pressurization

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

• Loysville Youth Development Center, Perry County
  Renovate Boiler Plant

Delaware County Prison, Thornton, PA

• Electrical Distribution System Renovations
• Renovations to Kitchen/Food Service

Chester County Prison, Pocopson, PA

• Comprehensive Energy Audit

City of Philadelphia Prison System

• New Multi-Purpose Building
• Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility
  Design of Operations, Maintenance, and Support Program; Four Year Operational Program
• Design and Operation Management; Computerized Building Maintenance Program
• Woman’s Correctional Facility
  Design of Operations, Maintenance, and Support Program
• House of Correction
  Design of Operations, Maintenance, and Support Program
• House of Detention
  New Heating System
• Central Warehouse
  Facility-Wide Sprinklerization and Fire Alarm System
• System-Wide Master Planning Commission, 2012

State of New Jersey

• Northern State Prison
  Powerhouse Sprinkler System
• Edna Mahan Correctional Facility/Hunterdon Developmental Center
  Emergency Generator Replacement
• NJ State Police Headquarters
  Replace Four Standby Generators
• New Jersey Training School
  • Housing Unit 8E – Automatic Sprinkler System and Fully Addressable Fire Alarm System
  • Housing Unit 2E – New Fire Suppression and Fire Alarm System
  • Housing Unit 6E, Suicide Resistant Improvements
  • Behavior Modification Unit – Suicide Resistant Improvements
• Special Treatment Unit, ADTC
  New Fire Detection/Notification System
• East Jersey State Prison
  New Fire Detection/Suppression System