NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM and WNWS.COM visited with Cary Henson, for a question and answer session about “Safe Zones,” a joint venture between two companies owned by Cary and his two sons, Jimmy and Chris – Henson Construction Services, Inc. (HCS), and Envirosafe Solutions of America (ESSA).

HCS remains the only Jackson/Madison County based company that specializes in school construction management, and HCS & ESSA are expanding their base to include a unique concept to provide business, institutions & homeowners options to own a multi-use “Safe Zone” to protect employees & family from tornadoes or intruders seeking to harm them.

Question: First, could we get you to define a “Safe Zone?”

Answer: HCS & ESSA have been heavily involved in providing respective Construction and Grant Writing/Management of FEMA approved multi-use Tornado Safe Rooms for schools and other County/City Government facilities for more than 10 years. To date ESSA has successfully written and managed FEMA Grants for 23 Tornado Safe Rooms in Tennessee, Mississippi and Missouri.

With a combined value of over $50 million, HCS served as Construction Manager to build the majority of these Safe Rooms. FEMA Grants (written and managed by ESSA) paid the majority of the costs for these Safe Rooms.

It is doubtful that other companies exist that can match the experience that HCS and ESSA have delivering FEMA approved Tornado Safe Rooms. There are successful area companies that primarily build and install small Safe Rooms for homes. What makes us unique is, we have been building Multi-Use Safe Rooms that range in size from 1,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet (Bethel University Library), which can hold up to 3,500 occupants during a severe weather event.

With the above described experience under our belts, HCS and ESSA have been working on concepts, utilizing shipping containers as the primary structural shell, to quickly and cost effectively build Multi-Use “Safe Zones” that will not only meet FEMA Tornado Safe Room standards, but can also be reinforced to serve as Intruder Escape Rooms for schools, businesses and homes.

However, we are taking it a step further and making these “Safe Zones” usable for a wide array of other purposes such as Man/Woman Caves, playrooms, bedrooms, conference rooms, restrooms and other uses the client so desires. We have enlisted the services of a well-established local Structural Engineer to ensure that our “Safe Zones” are designed/built to withstand up to 250 mph winds (EF-5 Tornado). The exterior skin of the shipping containers, including doors and windows, are encased with material that have been tested at Texas Tech University to withstand an E-F 5 Tornado, per FEMA 361 Standards. The “Safe Zones” have exterior walls/roofs that meet current building codes for energy efficiency.

There is currently a huge push toward “Green Design and Construction” in the United States. I had no desire to spend the extra money or time required to get our “Safe Zones” LEED

Certified, but I feel confident in saying that there is likely not a more “Green” facility in Jackson than the combination of our new HCS/ESSA Offices and our “Safe Zone” Models. Combined with an environmentally friendly retrofitting of an abandoned car wash and utilizing discarded shipping containers, we incorporated LED Lighting, high-efficiency heating/cooling/ventilation systems, Low “E” window glazing, high levels of insulation and the use of natural light to aid in reducing our companies’ carbon footprint on our environment.

If you combine all of the information above, you have HCS/ESSA’s definition of our “Safe Zones.” If you want a more concise definition, HCS/ESSA would define our “Safe Zones” as environmentally friendly, multi-use safe rooms, constructed with modified shipping containers to create usable spaces that also can serve as refuge from severe weather or intruders.

Question: You are using shipping containers as the shell for your Safe Zone? How was it determined that you would use shipping containers?

Answer: I have been studying ways to use shipping containers in the construction of several types of projects (including jails, homes, motels, apartments, restaurants, etc.) for several years.

A few years ago, along with some business partners from Memphis, I spent over a year developing concepts of using shipping containers as the primary structural components of a jail/prison. After considerable time and money developing possible jail concepts, one of the three partners decided he no longer wanted to pursue the project. A lot of the design/engineering has been done and, at some point, the other partner and I may return to finish the concept.

During the time we were studying the container jail concept, HCS/ESSA got heavily involved in writing/managing FEMA Safe Room Grants and building Tornado Safe Rooms for schools and other government entities. It is not cheap to build a Tornado Safe Room that meets FEMA 361 standards and anyone that knows me well, knows that I am very conscious of costs, so it was natural for me to want to explore a more efficient and cost effective way to build these Tornado Safe Rooms. With the knowledge already gained (from the shipping container jail concept study) I knew that these containers were abundantly available at reasonable cost, in stack after stack, on thousands of acres at ports and multiple large cities throughout the country. I also knew that with some modifications, these containers could quickly and cost-effectively be modified/reinforced to meet the standards necessary to become Tornado Safe Rooms.

Question: Besides shipping containers, would you describe the other materials used in making a Safe Zone?

Answer: In addition to these structurally modified shipping containers, we incorporate specially reinforced steel doors/frame components that are specifically made/tested to meet FEMA 361 wind/missile impact and other enhanced security standards. Made in Milan’s CECO Plant, these high security opening products are complimented by extremely heavy duty door hardware that is manufactured by CECO’s parent company…ASSA ABLOY. ASSA ABLOY is a world leader in the development, manufacturing and sales of top of the line high security door/window opening products.

Our Safe Zones are available with two types of window openings. The first is a window that is glazed with a clear high-strength poly-carbonite material that can withstand a 15 pound two-by-four, shot at 100 mph. The second is a regular window that is accompanied by one of CECO’s FEMA 361 Window Shutters. The interior mounted steel window shutter is normally open to expose natural light but can be easily/quickly closed during a weather or intruder event, making the shell of the Safe Zone secure.

After structural modifications are made to the shipping containers, we encase them with various framing systems that allows code-compliant insulation to be installed in the walls and roof. The finished exterior skin can be of any type material that would be used on commercial buildings, industrial buildings or homes. The exterior skin of our five “Safe Zone” Models range from brick to split-face block to Hardie Board siding. The roof on the Models range from architectural shingles to metal to single-ply membranes. We can make the exterior walls and roof of the “Safe Zones” match/compliment or even contrast with the architecture of existing structures.

Question: You have five types of Safe Zones on location at 32 Bowling Drive. Why did you decide to construct these units on site?

Answer: The new HCS/ESSA offices (32 Bowling Drive-Jackson) are housed in a previously abandoned car wash that we have retrofitted into some unique office spaces. There were two factors in deciding to build the five “Safe Zones,” in conjunction with converting the car wash into new offices for our companies. First, we wanted to create Model “Safe Zones” that could be used for marketing purposes and secondly, we needed some additional usable space for a kitchen/break room, CEO conference room/lounge, copy/storage room and rest rooms for two future expansion areas that will be leased until needed.

The fifth type of Safe Zone was needed as a model to show what is possible, as well as, wanted for my enjoyment (with family and friends). Located directly off my office, this “Safe Zone” is my version of the ultimate Sports/Man Cave. A University of Tennessee Vols Space, that is also a Tornado Safe Room or a safe area, should we have an intruder during business hours.

Complete with three flat-screen TV’s, a wet bar furnished with dishwasher/garbage compactor/ice maker, memorabilia display cases, pool table, dartboard, 14-by-seven-foot Neyland Stadium Mural, ceiling painted like Shields-Watkins Field w/orange and white checkboard end zones and an array of custom made furnishings. This “Safe Zone” is a great venue to host family and friends for sporting events and special occasions.

Question: What is the average response of someone who steps inside a Safe Zone at Henson Construction Services for the first time?

Answer: As one would expect, the more dramatic responses come from those that see the Tennessee Vols Sports/Man Cave. From “WOW” to “Unbelievable” to “Amazing,” everyone that steps into this “Safe Zone” reacts positively … even Alabama and Florida fans. I have friends that are in the design and/or construction business, that are surprised and intrigued when I tell them the “Safe Zones” are built with shipping containers. They want to know more about how we designed/built the spaces and how on earth I came up with the idea. After soaking it in, most women usually ask “who helped you with the Tennessee Man Cave interior finishes & furnishings?” … most seem surprised when my answer is … just me. Fans of other Teams (BAMA, Gators, Aggies, Ole Miss, Titans, Cowboys, etc.) ask if we can customize a similar “Safe Zone” for their Team…the answer is always yes.

Question: With five (possibly more) Safe Zones available to select from, what is the most popular?

Answer: Without a doubt, the Tennessee Sports/Man Cave is the most popular of our Safe Zone Models. We are still working on how to approach marketing our concept, but already have interest from prominent local and non-local businesses, as well as, home owners in multiple West Tennessee counties.

I am currently working on plans for an approximate 3,000-square-foot office, with modified shipping containers being the primary structural component. The finalized project would be located on a high-profile golf course in Mississippi. I am also studying how shipping containers could be incorporated into new apartment complexes and have discussed building small tornado safe shipping container homes with multiple people, and I am considering one for myself. There is a national trend for “Tiny Homes” but no one, to my knowledge, is building them to be Tornado Safe. I believe, in the right location, a development of Tornado Safe “Micro-Homes” would be a hit in Jackson.

Time will tell what becomes the most popular of our “Safe Zones.” Currently, my money is on the Sports/Man/Woman Cave. However, it will not surprise me if many business owners realize that their most important, irreplaceable asset is their employees. Such realization could create a sizable market of incorporating multi-use “Safe Zones” (to protect employees) at a wide range of offices/industrial facilities. I also believe a large market exists with governmental agencies and possibly the military. Preliminary discussions have taken place with TEMA about using our concept for both temporary housing and permanent housing replacement for the Flood Mitigation Program. Hardened Emergency Operations Centers are a real possibility. Yet another concept I am working on is Tornado Safe Storage for items that money can’t replace. Vintage vehicles and government archives that are currently stuffed in damp basements and cheap non-controlled spaces need enhanced protection. Entities, such as electrical cooperatives, currently store critical equipment/supplies (technology centers) in unprotected areas that will likely be destroyed by a severe tornado. Our “Safe Zones” could provide protection for the critical equipment/systems that will be needed after a major disaster. I am convinced we have a concept with huge potential.

At some point, we plan to have an open house and possibly host a Chamber Business After Hours event at our new HCS/ESSA Office. This would also provide an opportunity for our clients, area business leaders and local officials to see our “Safe Zone” Models. In the meantime, anyone interested is seeing our Models, can call our office at (731) 664-5858 to schedule a tour.

(PHOTO: Cary Henson, president, Henson Construction Services stands inside a Tennessee Sports/Man Cave at 32 Bowling Drive in Jackson.

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalk1015