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Chris Mc Loone |
The 2015 F.I.E.R.O. Station Design Symposium just wrapped and, as usual, the 21⁄2-day event brought together architects, end users, and consultants to provide information to those who are considering a brand new station or modifying a current one.
As I listened to architects and end users, certain themes kept repeating: be specific; be clear; and plan, plan, plan. It struck me how close specifying a station is to specifying a fire apparatus.
“Apparatus Purchasing” author Bill Adams often says that if it’s not in the specs, it doesn’t exist. And if you are not specific about where you want something, an apparatus builder will place it where it thinks it makes the most sense or where it fits, which is the same for an architect-if you’re not specific, the architect will do something the way he thinks it should be done. And, just like taking delivery of a fire truck, the ribbon cutting for the new station is not the time to discover a glaring error like a front apron that is too steep.
Enough cannot be said about the role a fire station plays in our health and safety. Cancer has understandably been receiving a lot of attention lately as firefighters continue to develop it at an alarming rate. In more than one session, a speaker would mention how we hear stories every day about firefighters who devote 30 years to their departments, retire, but pass away just a few years later because of job-related cancer. Just getting our PPE off the apparatus floor can reduce our chances of contracting certain cancers attributable to diesel exhaust exposure. But, don’t stop there. Getting as much of the exhaust out of the firehouse as possible is the next step. It’s very true that when you start an apparatus today, you don’t get the same black exhaust you used to. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for ways to limit your exposure to anything that is coming out of that exhaust pipe.
Many people hear the words “station design” and might think about its physical appearance on the outside, the furniture, and fancy accoutrements. But, it goes beyond that. It’s about spec’ing out a facility that is practical, safe, built with expansion in mind, and that flows. Firefighters who have to make 14 turns to get from the bunk area to the apparatus floor are on duty at a station that does not feature response efficiency.
I had the opportunity to visit a newly constructed station recently. The advantages a new station brings are obvious: more space, modern amenities, ADA compliance, brand new furnishings, state-of-the-art technology, built-in training elements, and so on. There was plenty of parking, and the interior of the station was split logically between the career personnel for the fire department-fire administrator and fire marshal-and the volunteer fire company side. The station features training props on site, a modern radio room, its own compressor for refilling self-contained breathing apparatus cylinders, and a modern meeting room. The station is well-thought-out.
My station is a legacy station, built in 1927, with additions from the 1960s and 1970s. It stands on the location of the original station, a one-story, two-bay structure resembling a detached garage at someone’s house more than a fire station. The current station’s first addition is one story and features two bays. The second addition was built to the rear of the original building and first addition and is also one story. Having written the fire company’s history for our 100th anniversary in