2.3 Physical Facility

Consideration should be given to traffic control when selecting a location for the Recovery Center. A large search effort will require hundreds of search volunteers. Suggested public hours of operation are 8 AM to 7 PM. Note that core group members may need access to the Recovery Center 24 hours a day.

The Recover Center location should:

• be easily accessible.
• provide ample parking (for media, hundreds of volunteers, horse & boat trailers, etc.).
• be in close proximity to the responsible law enforcement agency.
• be available for several weeks.
• be on private property (if possible) - this allows easier access control (Section on Bouncer).

The following physical features should be considered in selecting a location:

• A large office area away from the general public for administrative functions such as the phone bank and computer operations.
• A public area for news briefings and volunteer sign in.
• Availability of at least two private rooms
  • Targeting / Mapping
  • Debriefing
• Adequate electrical power and outlets.
• Permission to install up to 10 dedicated phone lines (Section on Phone Lines).
• Ability to control public access.
• Provision of food distribution to the volunteers (Section on Food Management).
• Location for daily press conferences (Section on Public Affairs).