Robert Manns of Manns Woodward Studios talks about the elements of apparatus bays in modern fire stations at the 2019 Station Design Conference in Rosemont, IL.
One of the most vital and integral buildings to any community is the fire station, and these facilities are built to take quite a bit of punishment. That durable construction comes out of a need to provide accommodations—as well as certain level of protection—to some of a city's most valuable assets: its firefighters and the high-end apparatus they use.
At his Wednesday session at the 2019 Station Design Conference in Rosemont, IL, Rob Manns of Manns Woodward Studios discussed the elements that go into a modern firehouse's apparatus bay.
Single-Story Stations
Apparatus bays require sites with a lot of space
Bays adjoining program spaces are equipped with the "safest response practices and most frontage."
Less air circulation needed thanks to the lack of elevators, stairs and shafts
Clear spans easily created
Two-Story Stations
Bays can fit on compact sites with less space
Vertical circulation needed for the response paths for stairs and poles
Because of its height, the walls and frames tend to be more complicated
Clear spans can be hard and expensive to create
Hybrid Stations
Allows balanced design approach on a compact site
Stairs and elevators usually needed
Tough choices might be needed in order to avoid uneven distribution between stories
Bay Monitoring
Security and alert systems can be integrated into the apparatus bay as a safeguard for personnel and equipment.
Cameras throughout the bay let firefighters keep tabs on apparatus aisles, making sure they're free of obstructions.
Support Spaces
Apparatus bays also can accommodate other features besides simply being a place to park vehicles. Some of the additional elements can include:
storage and ready area for turnout gear
decontamination area that includes eye wash, dryers, compartment sinks and gear extractors
toilet area keeps firefighters still contaminated from calls away from living spaces
out-of-service area, which can store apparatus, tools and other equipment removed from service
storage rooms for EMS supplies, fire equipment and SCBA gear
Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe was the new editor for Firehouse.com and now serves as the assistant editor of Officer.com. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
