JEFF DAVIS PARISH — Jeff Davis Parish officials have approved a 90% design plan for a new emergency safe room, moving the project closer to construction. The building is engineered to withstand hurricanes and even 500-year flood levels, providing a secure location for emergency personnel during disasters.
Ben Boudreaux, administrator for the parish police jury, said, “The safe room is a building designed for high winds — there’s a redundancy in how it’s constructed. Its intention is to house critical personnel: fire personnel, law enforcement and medical to ride out the storm.”
The 2,762-square-foot facility will hold about 75 first responders and include space for operations, storage, generators, as well as a protected entrance. Funding comes through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, applied for after hurricanes Laura and Delta struck just months apart.
Boudreaux added, “We received a grant totaling near 3 million for hazard mitigation, and so we hired DCMC to help us through that process.” He said the funding allows the parish to provide a facility that can shelter critical personnel while ensuring efficient disaster response.
Design plans on display in the police jury meeting room outline a protected entrance, reception area, large open safe room, small office, restrooms, storage, mechanical and generator rooms, and a rear supply and loading area. Boudreaux said additional upgrades, such as benches, a sink, stove, or temporary walls, could be added at the police jury’s discretion, though FEMA will not reimburse those features.
Showing the rendering of the project, Boudreaux said, “This is the existing courthouse, so it’s just to the back of the courthouse.” Outside, the site itself used to serve as a prison exercise yard, which will be demolished to make room for the safe room.
Boudreaux noted the location was an essential part of the decision process. “I feel like Jennings is the heart of the parish, and a lot of where the critical services are. It’s probably best to put it within the hub of Jennings,” he said.
Boudreaux emphasized that the safe room is intended exclusively for first responders and emergency personnel to stay on the frontlines during and after disasters. The facility is expected to strengthen the parish’s preparedness and ability to respond quickly when storms occur.
