A two-day closure at the Federal Way Community Center will prepare the facility to serve as a large-scale emergency shelter.

The center will close down completely April 7 and 8 while a crew installs a 1,000-kilowatt generator. The equipment’s purchase was approved in 2007 as part of the city council’s efforts to better prepare for emergencies and disasters in Federal Way.

Acquiring the generator took more than a year due to the large amount of equipment that was bought, city spokeswoman Linda Farmer said. But its presence will make the community center the city’s largest and most comprehensive public safe haven during an emergency or disaster.

The facility will only be used for overnight sheltering during a significant event that displaces numerous people, such as an earthquake, Farmer said. It will not be used to temporarily house a small number of residents displaced from their homes due to an event such as a house fire, she said. The generator has the ability to fully power the community center for three days. But during an emergency, power will be restricted to some areas of the building so as to extend the generator’s abilities, Farmer said.

Installation of the generator will require full closure of the community center for two days while power to the building is completely shut off. Vouchers, coupons or discounts to other gym and recreation facilities will not be offered. The community center will re-open April 9 for its regularly scheduled hours. Patrons are urged to be patient and understand the action is being taken to ensure public safety.

“Without power it’s kind of difficult (to operate the facility),” Farmer said.

The 1,000-kilowatt generator rounds out the city’s purchase of emergency preparedness equipment. Following winter storms in 2006, the city council set aside $1.5 million for the purchase of equipment, including the generator and snow removal devices, in 2007. This money was paired with $244,000 already reserved at the time. In total, $1.744 million was spent to keep roads clear of snow and ice and provide a large overnight emergency shelter for residents.

The snow removal equipment came in handy this past December when winter storms rocked the area for nearly two weeks. City staff was able to keep main arterials and some side streets maneuverable.