Images courtesy of City of Rocky River and Perspectus
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Firefighters are moving into temporary quarters at the Service Department garage on Lake Avenue, clearing the way for the construction of a new, larger fire station at the existing site adjacent to City Hall.
Peter Bohan, a principal with Perspectus, a Cleveland-based architecture firm, updated City Council Monday about construction plans for the firehouse and displayed newly completed plans.
The existing fire station measures approximately 10,000 square feet and includes an open dorm in which firefighters sleep in a single room.
The layout for the new fire station depicts a 26,000-square-foot building on the same site with individual sleeping quarters.
The existing fire department has four bays for fire vehicles, while the new plans call for six bays. The direction of the bay doors rotates slightly so that they exit parallel to Wagar Road.
“Part of the design is to improve the response time, with all the vehicles able to exit directly to Wagar,” Bohan said.
“We (will) now have individual dorm rooms for the firefighters — 12 individual rooms plus two dorm rooms for the lieutenants and one for the captain,” Bohan said.
While the new fire station more than doubles square footage — allowing room for future growth of the department — the footprint changes only slightly due to the addition of a second floor, he said.
Only about seven parking spots near the fire station will be eliminated by the expansion.
The firefighter dorms will be located on the second floor. Designs call for the installation of two fire poles that firefighters can use to quickly reach the first floor, where the truck bays are located.
“If you’ve never used a fire pole, I dare you,” Bohan said. “It’s exciting.”
There are also stairs and an elevator connecting the two floors. The elevator will service both the fire station and the adjacent City Hall.
Bohan walked council members through a diagram of the two floors.
The first floor will house all six apparatus bays, two alcoves, EMS storage, storage for the firefighters’ turnout gear, administrative offices for the fire chief and his administrator, a small conference room, an office for the fire prevention officer and a large training classroom.
The second floor, in addition to housing the dorm rooms, will feature locker rooms and changing areas, a physical training room, a day room for the firefighters, a dining room and kitchen, and office space for the lieutenants and captain.
To blend in the exterior with the adjacent City Hall and nearby police station, the architects are matching construction materials such as stone, glass and brick.
One of the major benefits of the new fire station will be additional room, which allows for improved firefighter safety.
“The fire station is designed to help with cancer prevention,” Fire Chief Aaron Lenart told City Council. “Cancer is very prevalent in the fire department.”
Therefore, washing facilities — including personal protective equipment extractors, which clean turnout gear following fire runs — will be stored in an area adjacent to the apparatus bays and separated from the firefighters’ living quarters.
The fire station will be divided into three zones, Lenart said.
“If you see the three colors (on the floor plans for the new fire station), it’s designed with a hot zone, a cold zone and a neutral zone,” Lenart said.
“There are vestibules that protect the administration from the contaminants of the diesel engines and what have you.
“It’s all thought out with the idea of cancer prevention and mental health. It’s all built into it to provide our employees with this environment for success.”
The new fire station will feature a central exhaust system to remove diesel fumes quickly from the apparatus bay area.
It consists of a “robust exhaust fan,” Bohan said. It will replace a more cumbersome system that involves large exhaust hoses that connect to the exhaust pipes on the trucks.
Councilman Brian Sindelar complimented Bohan and Lenart for involving firefighters in the design of the new fire station, saying it would likely be a morale boost for them to “essentially be designing what becomes their home and workspace.”
Lenart said it’s challenging to forecast what Rocky River will look like in 50 years, but he is confident the new fire station will serve the city’s needs for decades to come.
Once the firefighters have left the current station, asbestos abatement will begin. Demolition is expected to begin between Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.
The estimated project cost is $15 million, and work should be completed 14 months after it begins, which would be in early 2027.
Read more news from the West Shore Sun.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
link