In Quarters: Coon Rapids, MN, Fire Station No. 3

This facility received the Career 1 Notable award in the 2025 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.

Coon Rapids Fire Station No. 3 was designed to meet the evolving needs of both the firefighting team and the community that it serves. Two pull-through and four double-deep apparatus bays are equipped with negative pressure separation and Hot Zone design strategies to reduce exposure to toxins and contaminants. The Hot Zone concept is further enhanced by assigning a separate bay that’s away from the main building for returning apparatus that require decontamination. The Station Design Awards judges took note, with this (as well as what’s noted below) certainly factoring into the fact that four of the seven awarded either a 9 or a 10 (on a scale of 1–10, with 10 being the highest) regarding the station’s safety and decontamination features.

Firefighters and equipment move directly into a dedicated decon zone that includes showers, gear wash and SCBA cleaning. Once clean, members transition to the operational bays, which, while still within the Hot Zone, remain significantly cleaner. This layout further isolates the office and living areas of the facility from potential contaminants, and the Station Design Awards judges were highly complimentary of the strategy.

Near the main entrance of Station No. 3, a museum-quality display showcases the department’s legacy, including one of the agency’s original pumpers.

The station includes four dormitory suites, each with private bedrooms and bathrooms to ensure comfort and privacy. Designed for growth, the layout easily accommodates expansion to six suites. The suite configuration also allows incoming shifts to access lockers without disturbing those who are off duty.

Wellness is central to the station’s design, which features a dedicated wellness room, a library, indoor and outdoor fitness areas, and a tranquil exterior meditation plaza. A full glass overhead gym door opens to an outdoor training zone, which enhances natural light and airflow. To support restorative sleep between calls, dorms include acoustic isolation and a ramped tone-and-light alerting system.

Interior materials were selected not only for durability and calming aesthetics but also to support long-term firefighter health. Low-VOC paints and adhesives were used, cabinetry and doors are free of urea-formaldehyde, and a below-ground radon removal system was installed.

Station No. 3’s robust on-site training includes an interior hose tower, which has stair hose advancement setups, rescue windows, a standpipe and anchor points for rappelling practice. The mezzanine level provides access to a confined space access, a smoke-filled maze, and props for ladder rescues and bailout drills. Functional fire alarm panels and a working training sprinkler riser enable realistic, live system training in multiple riser types.

The facility is equipped with administrative offices, flexible classrooms and a fully outfitted Emergency Operations Center that also serves as the city’s backup EOC during major incidents. Sustainable, LEED-aligned strategies are integrated throughout, to ensure long term energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Architect: CNH Architects