By Alan M. Petrillo
Not every fire district or municipality can come up with the funding to build a new fire station when the need arises. That's when rehabilitating and renovating an older firehouse to accommodate new fire apparatus and equipment become the answer to allow those structures to function well in the 21st century.
Leading Reasons to Renovate
Bob Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Associates Architects, says there are several possible reasons a fire department might choose to renovate an older station. "It's certainly easier to build a new structure on a different site," he says, "but a department might not do it because it can't afford a new building, there is no plausible alternative site, the old station might be a historically significant building, or there's a public perception against a new station."
Mitchell notes the biggest driving force in renovating older fire stations is the larger size of fire apparatus today. Apparatus bay door heights and bay lengths are two of the biggest concerns in choosing renovation over building new, he adds. "The old 10-by-10-foot overhead doors don't work at all anymore," he says. "We're using 14-by-14-foot doors now. The body on a fire truck is typically eight feet wide, and with mirrors it grows to 10 feet, which could fit in a 12-by-12-foot doorway, but we like to keep eight feet of clearance from one truck bay to another."
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| 1 The city of Lincolnton, North Carolina, chose Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects to renovate an existing fire station and city hall and put on an addition that connected them into a modern new facility. (Photo courtesy of Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects.) |
Ken Newell, a partner in Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects, says he performs a facility feasibility study for fire departments that can identify deficiencies in an older station and suggest remedies to correct them. "A department might need 15,000 square feet of space in a station and currently be operating out of 7,500 square feet, so we will quantify the additional space needed," Newell says. "Deficiencies in older stations usually start with bay space because fire stations built 20 to 50 years ago typically are not large enough for new fire apparatus, especially in height, length, and width. Also, older apparatus bays often have problems with their exhaust and drainage systems."
Joe Mottola, president of H2M Architects, says that in almost every case of a firehouse renovation, the focus is on the apparatus room. "Usually the department wants to get bigger trucks into a larger space in a safe manner with proper clearances," Mottola says. "That's the heart and soul of a fire station renovation, and once we get that laid out, then we get into the other spaces like meeting rooms, offices, and the kitchen."
One consideration sometimes overlooked in apparatus bay renovations is the overall height of the bays, Mottola says. "A question we ask is if they need to raise the cab in the station to do maintenance," he notes. "Or, do they need to put a truck on lifts in the station. Those answers will drive the interior height of the truck in the bay."
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Posted: Oct 13, 2015
The development of technological advances has not slowed down and does not promise to do so in the foreseeable future.
This means that the fire service will continue to be exposed to new products that promise to make things easier, faster, more efficient, and more effective. Obviously, not all of these advances will be beneficial to every department and every situation. Departments need a system to evaluate new products and services so that good decisions can be made.
Sometimes I admit to others that I have a basement full of good ideas. This is said metaphorically to emphasize that on occasion an attempt to acquire something that was sure to make my job easier didn't deliver exactly in the manner it was supposed to. What seemed like a good idea at the time didn't pan out and a decision was made to move on to something else and discard the product. This meant that we bought something that was not used or didn't produce the intended results, leaving a problem unresolved and costing sparse resources. Hopefully, every one of these offered an opportunity to learn a lesson so that a repeat would not occur.
Don't Need to Be First
Regarding technology, there is a desire in some to be the first one on the block to get the latest and greatest. When the new iPhone® is released, long lines await the opening of the store so individuals can get the device before anyone else. When Apple released the iWatch®, some people wanted it so badly that they couldn't wait to see if it was really something that would be advantageous. Maybe functionality doesn't matter and it is more about status and what others may think. I, like many, sometimes get caught up in this thought process and want to get in the lead. But, I have learned that there are some steps that should be taken to increase the likelihood that the new technology will actually help and last long enough to have a good return on investment.
If you are looking for examples in the fire service, there are many. The first generation or two of PASS devices offered great promise. For many who thought this was the answer to finding lost firefighters on the fireground, getting these as soon as possible was the goal. The proposed benefit seemed like the proverbial "no-brainer." Unfortunately, organizations found limitations and issues. The units required that the firefighter activate them when donning the self-contained breathing apparatus. Many did not remember this step. In other cases, the devices had a sensitivity that caused mostly false alarms. They became similar to car alarms in that they were ignored-not a good thing to have happen with life safety on the line. Ultimately, these issues were resolved, and PASS devices have become more reliable and critical for fire service operations. Those departments that took the leap initially may have some nice relics for their museums!
Evaluate
Regardless of the product, someone has to be first. The reasons for opting to be early in the process should be sound and make sense for the organization. They should not be based on being first for the sake of bragging rights or being cool. It shouldn't be because your neighbors have one and you need to keep up to appear progressive. There must be a proper evaluation that considers the critical factors before any significant investment is made. Does a need exist? Will the product address the need? Can you afford it? Will there be the right return on investment? These are the simple questions that have to be asked.
There are certain issues that lend themselves to quick purchases. Certainly anything that can improve firefighter safety will generate interest and sometimes the urge to take a shortcut. Your depa
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