Designing & constructing new Public Safety Facilities remains primarily focused on supporting the specialized functions and systems required for emergency response, additional considerations must be addressed. These include design for operations within flood prone areas, as well as exposure to high winds, wildfires and earthquake threats. We will examine three projects whose design responds to these threats, while also maintaining core mission functions and access to the facilities.

A collaborative and interactive discussion from the 4 firms; H2M architects + engineers, COAR Design Group, Lemay Erickson Willcox Architects & TCA Architects who have conducted the 1-on-One portion of the Station Design Conference for over 15 years and specialize in Public Safety & Station Design.  They will talk about the key topics with regards to designing and building in today’s complicated and quickly changing environment.  They will highlight some of the top items that you, as Public Safety Personal should be thinking about when discussing your future or renovated facility. Attendees can look forward to actionable takeaways and will leave the presentation knowledgeable about the effects of the pandemic on design and construction projects.

Training is essential to build the core of a firefighter. Training by Design ensures firefighters high performance capabilities in the moments that matter. Training builds confidence in ability, morale, and muscle memory to function at a high level and reduce stress. How would having training on-site positively impact your station? Arends covers: Working with existing spaces and structure; Adapt to your stations’ specific needs; Renovation vs New Construction; Cost Benefit Analysis; Communicating to Decision Makers; and examples of Successful Outcomes.

This presentation discusses strategies for achieving the most energy efficient public safety facilities, in simple terms. Using real world examples, we discuss how 24/7/365 facilities can achieve not only net-zero energy but net-positive performance, and what you can do for your station to accomplish this as well. Participants will understand the importance and value of early design-led energy modeling, massing, and solar orientation; and how that effort translates into saving dollars.

How do you communicate facility conditions to elected officials? The Lincoln, NE Fire Dept. did multiple station assessments and had usable information available to make critical budget, safety, health, and operational decisions. By appraising a building against current codes, trends, health, safety and welfare, gender equity, ADA compliance and future flexibility, the city has a much better picture of how each station will serve now and into the future. The last critical step is to create a Capital Plan or in Lincoln’s case, a “report card.” The report card format is like how a fire department rates its apparatus. It’s a visual tool that can quickly and effectively communicated to the Council and your Community.

This hour-long panel discussion we will focus on what the future of policing might look like. With so many changes to the Law and current society what might the future look like.  How do we protect the protectors?

Nearly half of U.S. fire stations are over 45 years old and do not accommodate modern apparatus, health & safety, gender equity, bunking, energy conservation, or changing weather patterns. If your station is in poor condition, you may be wondering, is it worth saving? Katz describes how to determine if the existing building and site can be modified to meet your needs, to renovate it, knock it down and rebuild, or move to a new site. Lessons learned on station renovation include evaluating existing conditions and how to make valid decisions.

This presentation focuses on basics of how to navigate through the construction documents.  With emphasis on how the documents evolve through the design process, when does one look for information as the owner/client in the drawings and specifications.  How to help the design team and ensure that the things your agency needs is getting documented accurately in the project documents.  The presentation will include understanding:  What are the different construction documents?  How are drawings organized and how does one navigate through them?  What are the basic views/drawing types used to convey information?  How are legends, notes and schedules utilized?  What do you as the client need/want to review?  When and how much time should be allocated for drawing review?  What if something is missed?  How do things get clarified/changed during construction? 

Come TOUCH and FEEL all kinds of building materials and hear about the Pros and Cons of each. We will show you installation images and tell you want to be mindful of. With so many new materials on the market what is the maintenance protocols for various products. How will these various materials affect the feel of the environment? What will it do to the sound in the space? How do these different materials fit into your budget?

CALEA Law Enforcement Agency Standards has hundreds of pages addressing requirements for written directives on every aspect of law enforcement policy. This program will discuss where the attendee needs to start and how CALEA will impact the design of their new Police Station?

A presentation on the advantages for EMS districts utilizing a centralized vs decentralized EMS operations model. Multiple topics will be demonstrated through case study featuring the St. Charles County Ambulance District’s new state-of-the-art headquarters facility. Learning include: Training advantages; Operations advantages; Financial advantages; Built environment advantages and Community service advantages

Program is on strategies to develop practical and functional apparatus bays and support spaces for operational efficiency and training. The first part will cover how apparatus bays have evolved over the years and what factors now drive their cost. The second part isa more detailed overview of spatial requirements, lighting, mechanical systems, vehicle exhaust systems, fire protection, structural conditions, door operations, and apparatus clearances. The seminar shall also review the development of Electric Apparatus and how the advent of this technology will influence the design of stations for generations to come.

You’ve planned your project for years The budget is approved. The design work is complete. The construction bids are in and now it’s time for the fun to start…turning dirt and standing up walls. Now you learn that if difficulties (even litigation) in the project are encountered, they are most likely to occur during the construction phase. “Construction Administration” begins with the selection of your General Contractor and continues until after you occupy the new facility. Newell discusses what you can expect and plan for during Construction Administration, along with procedures as the project owner can put in place to assure the construction results in the best possible facility.

Sometimes moving forward for a new facility is to work with what you have. Reda [and Hartung] walk through the phased occupied renovation and additions to Kensington Fire Station 25, Montgomery Co., MD. In a fully developed area of the county, no suitable parcels were in the first due area for a new station or a temporary facility. The design team used creative solutions to on site temporary quarters and careful phasing to allow the station to operate while construction took place, ultimately renovating every area of the building and doubling the size of the station. Lessons include insights from the design team and fire operations on technical challenges with this complex project, consideration for modernizing an existing facility, and designs created by the phased construction of an occupied building.

The proper training for first responders is vitally important. It enables them to respond more efficiently, effectively and safely. Funding and appropriate sites for separate training facilities, however, can be hard to come by and easily cut from budgets. Designing facilities that allow for integration of training within the station or providing room on-site for future training opportunities can alleviate the burden of added funding for separate training facilities. This presentation will explore how opportunities for training can be integrated into Public Safety and Law Enforcement operations facilities.

While fire station kitchens are a small component of an overall facility, the kitchen is a microcosm of the entire facility. This seminar will cover value-based decisions including source contaminates and cross contamination, challenges with alerting system interface, sustainability and carbon neutrality, product selection and warranty issues, accessibility, noise isolation, and new trends in appliances that come with hidden complexities. Given that the fire station kitchen is a hub of activity, make sure that your department understands how this space can either limit or enhance your broad core objectives.

It is not a surprise that police, fire and 911 are all high stress callings that influence our brain chemistry. Repeated exposure to extended stress has a direct impact on your mental, emotional and physical health. This presentation combines unique perspectives by three nationally recognized experts: architect, interior designer and brain doctor. Explore with Paul Erickson, Raegan Porter, and Dr. Joel Robertson on how to change your brain chemistry to de-stress through the built environment. At the close of this cutting-edge presentation, attendees will have tangible take-aways to incorporate with any fire/rescue, dispatch, or law enforcement facility.

This presentation will explore how to take an older station and turn it into a cutting-edge station. Mike will use real life examples to demonstrate how to efficiently upgrade your systems, select interior and exterior finishes, and improve layouts. In most older buildings, you do not always know what you are working with until you peel back the layers, Mike will use his experience with renovations of older stations to demonstrate how you can best reduce construction issues ahead of time and change orders along the way.

The process of designing and building a new station can be exhilarating as your vision comes to life, first on paper then with bricks and mortar. However, without proper planning, all the goodwill that has led to this moment can quickly transform into mistrust and doubt when unforeseen challenges arise. By measuring twice and cutting once, you set your station up for success from the beginning. Choosing the right construction delivery method for your project and then clearly articulating your priorities throughout your selection process is the best way to ensure a smooth process that will result in an excellent building. Attendees will learn to identify the priorities that must be evaluated when selecting the right delivery method for your project, and how to make sure you chose the right partners to bring your vision to reality.

 Evidence facilities are one of the most complex and regulated components of any law enforcement facility. Careful planning and attention to detail surrounding chain of custody, security, storage, ventilation, and health and safety of the officers and evidence technicians is critical. Competing priorities often surround security, public interaction, officer access and vehicle garage placement, while everchanging regulations ensure planning for growth and flexibility a crucial consideration. This presentation focuses on key design strategies surrounding today’s modern evidence facility and the details important to crafting this key operational component. The presentation will cover both standalone evidence facility considerations as well as evidence facility needs when embedded within the police department proper. 

Understand the role of your department in the process of starting a project. This presentation will walk through the early stages of developing a project and discuss when and how you can be most effective, developing a budget, issuing an RFP, selecting an AE team, and generally designing your facility. 

Creating a positive relationship between the community and local law enforcement agencies is a critical issue for municipalities across the country. The police station is the cornerstone of safety for each community. Holliday looks at creating spaces which balance the goals of providing a welcoming and transparent facility for the community, with an equally safe environment to protect Law Enforcement officers. Examples of how the building and site can integrate with the surrounding context and reflect the community’s values while meeting the department’s operational requirements. Through case studies, this presentation identifies strategies for progressive levels of safety measures which can be seamlessly incorporated into overall facility design.

The development of public safety training centers are significant capital investments that ensure first responders are prepared to tackle our communities' ever-evolving public safety challenges. This jam-packed presentation will provide an overview of the fundamental issues surrounding the creation of these unique facilities. Topics covered will include programming, site selection, master planning, budgeting, safety and operations, common political challenges, procurement, environmental issues, and the general planning principles that can be incorporated to lead your project to success.

The global market is beginning to shift to electric vehicles for a world closer to zero emissions, including the electric apparatus. How will fire station designs evolve to accommodate electric apparatus? Ross shares programmatic changes to current fire stations. How will we charge the apparatus and other support vehicles; how will we manage the electric service into the building while dealing with local codes and ordinances for proper fire separation and fire suppression systems; how will we accommodate the battery storage. How can we incorporate the spaces into new fire stations and retrofit existing fire stations to be prepared for the electric apparatus and what could these futuristic bays look like?

This presentation will describe and explore the various scopes of service your architect may offer and be able to provide during the construction phase of your project, including getting ready for construction (bidding/permitting), as well as after construction (project close-out and warranty). Chief Parker will present lessons learned from three recently completed construction projects he has overseen for his fire department.

From staying compliant with OSHA noise exposure limits and noise ordinances specific to communities and locations, there are cost-effective solutions that can keep your LEOs safe while also improving your “good neighbor” image, within a local community or within a station itself. This talk will cover the basics of range acoustics, the full-body dangers of repeated gunfire audibility and the various materials and designs needed for effective noise mitigation in a law enforcement setting.

From apparatus bays to storage spaces, design standardization is a way to ensure consistency and equity throughout your station. This presentation will explore the many benefits of department design standards and how they can be applied to multiple projects now and in the future. During this presentation, Mike will be accompanied by a Fire Department Facilities Manager who will expand on their experience developing standards for their facilities and how it has served them in the long run.

Physical Fitness and Mental Wellness are two major factors that affect public safety first responders on a daily basis. This presentation highlights the importance of whole-body fitness and how the design of fitness rooms and fitness elements can enhance both physical and mental performance. Key concepts will include a focus on Interior Environmental Considerations, Fitness Goals and Benefits, Material Selections and Design Features that improve whole-body fitness and operational effectiveness.

The people who serve in public safety are very mindful of protecting others and providing safety and security to the people, places, and things in their communities. We are dealing with new security challenges. Social discourse, general threats, and other circumstances have us looking at our own facilities a little closer relative to protective design elements. Further, the fast changing world of security requires more diverse and specialized products than ever before. We find ourselves needing to accommodate multiple layers of protection including Climb Resistance, Force Entry Protection, Vehicle Crash Resistance, Blast Resistance, Ballistics Resistance, and the list goes on. This presentation will update you on some of the more prevalent ASTM standards affecting the perimeter security industry, provide baseline information on how to identify physical security problems, and give you some strategies in designing your facilities to be safer for those who serve within them.

Mount Prospect was a department that had a culture that was non inclusive. The comradery was lacking and there were more “closed doors” then open. The new facility which is an adaptive reuse. Warehouse into a police station just completed in 2021. The design of the new station has completely changed the culture to more of an inclusive and open department.

The improv will offer a taste of reality with touches of humor that will give you a relevant sampling of the conversations and issues you should prepare for.