In Quarters: Central Islip, NY, Fire Department Station 3

This facility received the Volunteer Silver award in the 2025 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here. 

To meet the demands of a growing population and expanding service area, approximately 20 years ago, the Central Islip Fire Department embarked on a mission to enhance emergency response capabilities through the development of a new substation. Although land was donated for this purpose, initial plans for a modestly sized facility never were realized.

In 2018, the fire district brought on the architectural firm to bring the vision to life. The firm worked closely with the district and the town of Islip to develop and gain approval for a significantly expanded design. The proposed footprint was larger than previously conceived, requiring extensive coordination, presentations and advocacy to demonstrate the operational necessity of the updated plan. Furthermore, a Freedom of Information request revealed land use restrictions and a conservancy that initially jeopardized the project. The architectural firm and the fire department worked with local officials to secure a resolution. Despite delays that were caused by the regulatory hurdles and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was completed successfully. “Admirable” was the term that one of the Station Design Awards judges used to describe the resolution of the challenges.

The final design is a three-bay substation. It features two drive-through bays and a mezzanine level that supports utility systems and advanced training capabilities. An indoor training classroom eliminates the need for off-site instruction; it incorporates training bailout windows and tie-offs for suspended simulations both indoor and outdoor. A key design priority was the separation of Hot and Cold Zones to reduce contamination risks.

Decontamination showers are accessible directly from the gear area in a dedicated room that’s adjacent to the apparatus bays. The Station Design Awards judges’ approval of this facet of the building’s arrangement was important in them identifying this station as a Silver Award winner, with five of the seven judges recognizing the facility’s Safety & Decontamination Features with a rating of 8 or better on a scale of 1–10 (with 10 being the best).

The project faced several site-specific challenges, including its location on a busy corner lot, particular site restrictions and fire apparatus turning radii.

During site investigations, an abandoned underground steam tunnel was discovered and had to be removed. The building’s exterior was designed to harmonize with the surrounding neighborhood, featuring mansard roofs with copper-colored standing-seam material, clapboard siding, ground-face block and stone veneer.

Architects: H2M architects + engineers