In Focus
A Look Inside LADWP’s New Department Emergency Operations Center
By Riana Basuel
When Mayor Karen Bass held a citywide El Niño preparedness news conference on October 5, she chose a meaningful backdrop: the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) brand new, state-of-the-art Department Emergency Operations Center (DEOC). While the announcement underscored Citywide emergency readiness, the location highlighted something deeper – the important role LADWP plays in helping to keep Los Angeles safely running.
“Preparedness is at the heart of our work at LADWP. We have been proactively strengthening our infrastructure and refining our emergency response strategies. The opening of our DEOC is a natural extension of this planning, reinforcing our commitment to helping keep Los Angeles ready for any incident, no matter what challenges arise.”
Zoraya Oliver-Griffin, Chief Resiliency and Emergency Officer
The DEOC’s Vision and Purpose
Los Angeles is experiencing more frequent, high-impact events due to climate change – powerful storms and record-breaking heat waves that put new pressure on water and power infrastructure. In recent years, LADWP responded to several critical emergencies including the Palisades wildfires, the West Hollywood water main break, and multiple climate driven incidents. These events highlight the challenges of managing water and power systems across the Department’s service area and the essential need for a central command center.
The new DEOC was designed to support LADWP’s operational, logistical, communications, and field teams during an emergency response, ensuring LADWP’s service areas remain resilient and prepared.
A Space Built From Experience
Construction and design of the DEOC first began in April 2025. The process was guided by visits by Oliver-Griffin, Assistant General Manager and Executive Director of Emergency Management Mona Freels, and Facilities Services to emergency operations centers built by leading global companies over the past five years, allowing LADWP to incorporate proven design strategies and lessons learned into our space. Oliver-Griffin and Freels also drew from their own experiences designing emergency operations centers prior to their time with the Department, helping craft a facility tailor-made for LADWP.
“This is the best DEOC I’ve worked on without hesitation because we were able to apply lessons learned from prior facilities, use newer, more advanced technology, and have a stronger focus on the human element. A successful emergency operations center is only as strong as the people who run it, and our staff have fully embraced their roles and strengthened our overall emergency response effectiveness.” Mona Freels, Assistant General Manager and Executive Director of Emergency Management
The DEOC’s Dynamic Technology and Design
At the heart of the DEOC is the Situation Room’s 63‑foot video wall — an expansive display that can show multiple live feeds, maps, timelines, dashboards, and data streams simultaneously, giving staff a panoramic view of an unfolding crisis.
The DEOC has unique privacy and clarity features like fogged privacy windows, built-in high acoustic ratings to protect sensitive briefings, and centralized lighting and window privacy controls. Redundant commercial‑grade equipment such as radios, battery backups, and on‑site spares also help keep the center ready around the clock.
Sustainable, human-centric design elements are woven throughout the facility, reflecting LADWP’s commitments to environmental responsibility and employee wellbeing. Since emergency responses can stretch for hours or days, the space includes ergonomic seating for long shifts, circadian lighting that adapts throughout the day, and wellness rooms for quiet recovery. The center is housed in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)‑certified building, incorporates water‑saving fixtures, and uses air‑quality sensors to maintain a healthy indoor environment.
There are also touches highlighting the Department’s dedication to the communities we serves. Artwork from the Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA) brings a changing annual theme—this year, Resilience: Performance During and After Disaster—into the space. A moss wall showcases iconic water and power infrastructure, including the Cascades and Power Plant 1, while reducing stress and improving indoor air quality. Even the wall patterns pay homage to Los Angeles: layers inspired by power grids, water systems, and regional topography, intricately brought together to reflect LADWP’s integrated network across diverse landscapes.
Looking Ahead
With the DEOC now operational, LADWP will continue refining and expanding the space. The facility has already been stress‑tested – first through an activation limited to a small team during the FIFA World Cup, later during the summer’s West Hollywood water main break, several heat storms, and the recent Brentwood Water Incident.
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) staff will operate out of the DEOC and its office space full‑time. To further strengthen forecasting and incident response, LADWP has hired its first-ever in‑house meteorologist, expanding the Department’s ability to anticipate and respond to severe weather. LADWP will also share daily climate and weather intelligence with other City Departments, such as the Emergency Management Department (EMD), Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to support Citywide preparedness.
The DEOC is also poised to play a critical role in the coming years as Los Angeles continues to stand on the global stage. Super Bowl LXI returns to Los Angeles next year, and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games follow in July and August 2028. These events will utilize many of the City’s biggest venues and will require close coordination to ensure water and power services are uninterrupted.
In every respect, the DEOC positions LADWP to protect Los Angeles with greater speed, clarity, and resilience – no matter what the future brings.
Click on the images below for a closer look at the space:
Meet the Team
The DEOC’s construction and design were completed entirely in‑house, with Water, Power, and Joint Operations staff providing input to ensure the center is a technologically advanced, yet practical facility shaped by industry best practices and LADWP’s operational expertise. A consulting company was also hired to advise on the DEOC’s technology integration features.
Department Project Contributors:
Facility Services; Contract Administration; Structural, Mechanical, Electrical & Security Engineering; Fire Protection; ITS Network & Voice Engineering; Facility Services; Facilities Crafts, Electricians, AC Shop & Building Repair; Power Design & Construction (General Construction, Plumbing, Cabinet & Carpenter Shops, Painters, Insulators, Sheet Metal & Structural Steel); ATI (Telecom, Inside Cable, Data Shop, VNS, SSMC); the Graphics Design Team in the Communications & Community Affairs Division; Reprographics
