Cherokee Nation leaders came together on Monday to break ground on the new 61,500-square-foot public safety building located in Tahlequah near the EMS and Marshal Service facilities.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (KFOR) — Cherokee Nation leaders came together on Monday to break ground on the new 61,500-square-foot public safety building located in Tahlequah near the EMS and Marshal Service facilities.
Construction will now begin on the new facility which is set to provide support through the tribe's emergency medical services, emergency management, emergency dispatch and offers comprehensive training initiatives.
The new Cherokee Nation public safety building is being funded through American Rescue Plan Act funding and marks a crucial investment through their emergency relief efforts.
“This is a bright moment in the Cherokee Nation as we celebrate this capital investment. Taking the resources we have and investing them into the future for generational impact, you would be hard pressed to find a more critical need for the Cherokee people than to expand our public safety operations,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Our original EMS facility has served us well, but the facility that we are going to build is going to be worthy of the men and women that work here and certainly worthy of the great services which they provide.”
The new state-of-the-art building will provide a 24-hour hub for emergency operations and will accommodate over 90 employees which includes personnel from EMS, emergency management, and emergency dispatch operations.
Included in the project is a training center which will provide comprehensive emergency medical training programs for both first responders and community members.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner says there is a lot of work to be done, but is ready to get the project moving on the new public safety building.
“The women and men who protect and serve our Cherokee communities deserve to have a state-of-the-art operations hub. I know it’s a busy time at the Cherokee Nation, a time of new beginnings and transition, and this facility is a great part of our efforts,” said Warner.
Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner announced the $54 million investment into the tribe's EMS program back in 2022. After listening to feedback from its EMS department and having discussed the plans to strengthen the facilities and fleet services, the Council of the Cherokee Nation approved of the proposal.
“Public safety is something that our administration has been focusing on for the last several years, from public safety grants to donating car tag compact money back to police departments,” said Speaker of the Council Mike Shambaugh. “The well-being and prosperity of our people is very important to us.”
The tribe will also be purchasing a fleet of new ambulances which are set to arrive later this year.
Childers Architects and Foreman Manhattan Construction will be operating the project of the new public safety building with an expected completion date planned for early 2026.
