This station received the Renovated Fire Station Gold award in Firehouse's 2016 Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.
After an exhaustive search to relocate, the Hershey Volunteer Fire Company decided to purchase two neighboring properties and expand the current fire station located at the Sweetest Place on Earth, downtown Hershey. The project space program required 28,000 square feet with 17,000 square feet of the existing being restored and renovated. The building had to accommodate the future of the fire service for a 50-year timeframe. The fire company’s goal was to keep the original 1928 exterior façade and the essence of brick and stone to match both historical and modernization plans of the downtown Hershey architecture. The existing apparatus floor space was too small for current equipment.
Apparatus required “stacking” in the existing facility. The expansion program required four double-sided bays with bi-fold doors to accommodate department apparatus within a small footprint. The existing building lacked good access issues without a well-defined public entrance. The existing facility did not have an elevator to accommodate ADA requirements. The station alerting sound system and kitchen were inadequate.
The new central tower is complimentary to the architecture of Hershey. A new prominent main entrance for the public was provided with direct elevator access. The new tower includes four-story training with windows for the ladder, rappelling and forcible-entry drills. The new tower accommodates a smoke charged environment as well as charged hoseline advancement.
The building highlights artifacts and a 1922 Packard engine purchased by Milton S. Hershey that is visible from the exterior.
The office area and conference room on the second floor incorporate an exposed 1928 wood ceiling/roof structure to express the original building’s historic structure.
An expanded fitness facility was moved from the basement to the second floor to provide generous daylighting. Five semi-private bunkrooms accommodate 18 firefighters with a rooftop deck with downtown Hershey views.
Architect: KD3 Design Studio, Inc.
