LAWTON – The Comanche County Commission took steps recently to restore the Comanche County Health Department, which was damaged by floodwaters in late April, to working order.
Citing an emergency, the commission authorized the health department, located at 1010 S. Sheridan Road, on May 12 to bypass the competitive bidding process for dehumidifier stabilization services. SERVPRO of Lawton offered to perform those tasks for $47,066.38, starting May 7. The first phase will continue for an estimated cost of $5,125.19 per day until all flood-damaged material is removed, for a total cost of no more than $150,000, according to the agenda.
SERVPRO will also handle the next phase, which will include removing contaminated tile, carpeting and sheetrock from the building. The company will also sanitize the exposed area at a cost of no more than $150,000. April flooding The storms that struck Lawton on April 26 affected about 75% of the health department building, Chief of Staff Brandie Combs said in a May 15 email to a Southwest Ledger reporter. The health department was not forced to close as a result of the damage, and the agency continues to provide its usual services.
“However, due to ongoing restoration work, some of our processes and workflows may look a bit different during this time,” Combs said.
Combs said the agency had to bring in SERVPRO to handle dehumidification because there was so much moisture in the building. She said while there is no evidence that the moisture harmed indoor air quality, there is a potential concern for microbial growth in the affected area.
“The dehumidifiers stabilize the air and restrict growth,” Combs said.
Demolition will be limited to removing flood-damaged materials, including some carpets, wooden furniture or fixtures, and the lower portions of some drywall panels, she said. She added that no structural demolition is taking place.
A professional team will handle the sanitation phase of restoration, which will cover the areas affected by the flooding. Those areas, which were scattered throughout the building, were mostly employee office space, clerical areas, waiting rooms and conference rooms.
“Fortunately, the clinic areas were not widely impacted,” Combs said.
She said restoration is expected to take about 12 weeks from start to finish. The communications coordinator will post updates on the agency’s social media channel, and any changes to services or availability will be promptly announced.