Quick action by DSHS contractor prevents disaster at Brockmann Campus
The Department of Social and Health Services and Hoffman Construction, the contractor for the Brockmann Campus in Clark County, have worked together to build relationships with the surrounding Mount Vista neighborhood during the construction phase of the residential treatment facility.
That strong relationship was on display last week when a small grass fire broke out in the side yard of a home adjacent to the campus.
The earthwork grading crew of Coffman Excavation, a subcontractor, was working in the southeast corner of the project. For their construction activities, a water truck is used to reduce the amount of dust from excavating. During this scope of work, smoke was observed in the side yard of neighbor’s property bordering the DSHS project.
“The neighbor was assumed to be conducting a controlled burn and visually frantic after realizing their garden hose did not reach the fire,” said Ethan Matthews, project manager for Hoffman.
At that time, Coffman’s crew assisted and came to the rescue with the water truck, quickly dousing the flames and preventing any damage to the surrounding property.
“Later that evening, we received a text message from the neighbor expressing their sincere appreciation,” Matthews said.
Since the beginning of this project, DSHS has focused on being a good neighbor to the community, which included establishing a Community Good Neighbor Statement with surrounding schools and other stakeholders in the area. DSHS has also built the framework for a Community Advisory Board, which will not only help the department tell its story in a location that is new to its presence and mission, but also play a vital role in helping strengthen existing relationships moving forward.
“We’re grateful for the contractor’s quick response to the fire,” said Tim Byrne, construction project coordinator with the DSHS Office of Capital Programs. “The collaboration all of our construction partners have shown on this project has been top-notch from the start.”
Construction on all three buildings is expected to be completed by early 2025, with the first patient arriving months later in the spring.