HEALTHCARE

The mortuary at the Dover Air Force Base totals 70,000 square feet and was built as a direct result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Due to the declaration by the President of a national emergency and long term continued threat of major terrorist attacks in the country, the United States Air Force ordered the construction of a new mortuary at DAFB where all the country’s fallen heroes are brought home.  Designated a “Military Construction Emergency Project,” the urgent need for the new mortuary dictated a design-build approach as the optimum way of completing design and construction in the shortest amount of time. Scope of work included power distribution, voice/data systems, life safety systems, lighting layouts and design of fixtures, and the design and placement of electrical equipment in electrical rooms and mezzanines. The entire facility was backed up by a 1,500-kilowatt diesel emergency generator with a 1,000-gallon fuel tank and a 15KV primary loop feed to protect against loss of power. The Medical Examiner facility at Dover Air Force Base, which connects to the mortuary, was a design-build, 117,000-square-foot medical building including offices, laboratory space, and a warehouse. The facility provides comprehensive services in forensic pathology and anthropology, forensic toxicology, mortality surveillance, and DNA technology to investigate deaths, identify fallen heroes, and improve readiness. It serves the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.