• 1-on-One participants meet as a group at 9:00 AM for a short presentation where the architects will discuss "Start to Finish – How to Get the Station You Need" which focuses on emerging trends Public Safety design and construction. Following the presentation, we will have an open Q&A with the panel of Architects where attendees can ask questions. This presentation and Q&A can identify issues that you may not have considered on your project and enhance your 1-on-One session. 

           Pre-registration is required.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Scheduled time for 1-on-One meetings for qualified attendees only. Pre-registration required.

Through an examination of undertaken renovation projects for the Metro West Fire Protection District, City of DePres and a Fire Protection District, all located in St. Louis County (Missouri), the Owners/Officers and Architects will share their knowledge of difficulties encountered, challenges overcome, and things they wish they’d have known before they started, all with an eye toward assisting other agencies and personnel who may be considering undertaking a public safety renovation project.

Most of the nation relies on a volunteer and/or hybrid (partial career) staffing model to provide Fire and EMS services to their community. As the demands of jobs and family life continue to increase, communities face a crisis as volunteer recruitment and retention continue to decline at an alarming rate. While department culture and leadership are mainstays in preserving and maintaining the volunteer fire service, the built environment can significantly bolster numbers and entice regular participation. This presentation will give departments the information they need to convince their elected officials that investing in a new or renovated station is one of the smartest fiscal investments they can make in their community. Case studies will be presented along the way that demonstrate the results of designing for recruitment and retention vs. the tremendous costs associated with doing nothing.

In this presentation, we will explain how the renovation of police facilities involves a complex process. Unlike other public buildings, these projects encounter significant challenges that make them relatively rare. We will delve into the specific obstacles that contribute to this, such as regulatory complexities, budget constraints, and the need for uninterrupted services during renovations.

Small and rural fire stations face challenges in keeping facilities sized for meeting response times, ensuring long-term firefighter health, and creating flex space for changes from volunteer to blended staff arrangements. Mitigating the high risk of firefighters cross-contaminating personal items with harmful toxins is critical in upgrading facilities. As necessary, designing buildings that recognize the changing staffing patterns and expanding apparatus sizes is necessary.

The session will share ideas for applying the proven Hot Zone approach to station design to support firefighter health and safety and ideas for incorporating flex space to help morph the space with changing staffing models.

Every department planning a new facility should make a goal of designing one that will last 75 years or longer. It is equally important that this facility require as little repair & upkeep as possible during its lifespan. However, limited budgets are the single largest controlling factor in what you will be able to build. This session will explore the methods and options successfully utilized by many departments to plan and build a functional, durable, low-maintenance facility without “busting the budget”. How to Afford a 75-Year Facility will explore several ways in which you can design and build a facility that is as maintenance-free and long lasting as possible. We will look in-depth at various design considerations for the facility including site components, exterior building components, and interior building components, while also considering how you can plan a flexible design for future station growth. Finally, we will discuss building systems and materials that can stand the heavy use and abuse of First Responders.

Providing a safe environment that’s equitable and inclusive to all attracts a larger talent pool to the public safety profession. During this session, Mike Scott, joined by Kathryn Hicks, will discuss a variety of design strategies to achieve more inclusive stations from bunk room layout to locker spaces and even common spaces. The duo will discuss how one size DOESN’T fit all when it comes to providing equity and safety for all regardless of gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, or religion.

The global market is beginning to shift to electric vehicles, net-zero buildings, technology-heavy systems, biophilic design, and many other forward-thinking ideas for a world responding to climate change, the health and well-being of responders, and advanced IT. We will utilize Fire, Police, and Public Safety facilities to illustrate some of these trends. These future projects will be dealing with new local codes and ordinances, yet to be invented systems and infrastructure, innovative designs and materials to promote physical and mental well-being and protections. Will drones and robots become common apparatus? Will biometrics become the new standard for measuring the health and well-being of responders? How will we use advanced AI to protect Law Enforcement? How can we begin to incorporate these ideas and equipment into new public safety designs and retrofit existing facilities to be prepared for the future and what could these futuristic designs look like? This presentation continues to be updated to show the latest trends and address the potential for changes in the industry over the next few decades.

Steven will illustrate their operationally driven multi-agency station designs, which protect firefighters and law enforcement teams from carcinogen-laden soot and other harmful live event particles while creating inclusive spaces for men, women, and gender-neutral personnel through the evolution of their most recent projects and stakeholder engagement.

Planning a public safety station project can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. This presentation will introduce the foundational components necessary for the planning, design, and construction of your great fire or police station. We will cover critical issues including: the evolution of the public safety design and recent trends; planning and building a station to stand the test of time; and pitfalls to avoid during the project. This lively session will provide the attendees a solid foundation of knowledge that will make you more prepared for the wide-ranging presentations to follow.

This presentation will explain how the architecture of police facilities plays a pivotal role in shaping the work environment and overall well-being of law enforcement professionals. Thoughtful design can help create spaces that are not only functional but also supportive of officers’ mental and physical health.

A Guide to Selecting Interior Materials and Finishes One of the primary criteria in selecting construction materials for a new police or fire station is to make sure they are durable, easy to clean, require minimal maintenance, and can withstand the extended rigors of firefighter and police officer use. Vendor claims range from reasonable to preposterous, but in detailing your station, you need to know crucial information. Are the products truly as durable and easy to maintain as stated? Can you get replacement parts or support service from the vendor? Will the products stand the test of time? This seminar will show examples of what works and what hasn’t when it comes to the design and construction of stations that will stand up to the requirements of fire and police responder use.

A presentation and panel discussion on operational considerations and design recommendations so that your fire station is future-proof when it comes to radio transmit and receive, cellular transmit and receive and wiring for future technology.

This session delves into the critical role that a well-thought-out Program of Requirements plays in the success of any fire station project. Before any concepts are drawn, sites selected, or budgets prepared, a solid program is the foundation that sets the entire project up for success. Whether you’re designing your first station or planning department-wide renovations, this session will show how effective programming can define facility size, determine individual space requirements, and shape the project budget. We will share real-world examples and trends that are seen in various departments offering insights into optimizing building size, functionality, and firefighter safety.

This valuable session will focus on the fundamentals of how to navigate through construction drawings and specifications. Drawing nomenclature, symbols, and endless acronyms can make drawings and specifications seem like a different language. The objective of the presentation focuses on introducing and familiarizing you with the different types of construction documents, how drawings are organized, how to navigate through them, and what basic drawings, legends, notes, and schedules mean to you as the client. With a knowledge of how to navigate and understand construction documents, you will be left with the time and capacity to review and provide input on your project’s documents where it most matters.

The NFPA Research 2019 publication “Renovation Needs in the US Fire Service,” found that 43% of all stations in the US (21,230) were more than 40 years old. Fire Chiefs have argued for years that their stations need to be updated or replaced by identifying deficiencies and the risks to firefighters’ health and well-being. Municipalities expose themselves to potential litigation for failure to address violations of OSHA, NFPA, and other federal, state, and local regulations and standards. Many warnings point to addressing firefighter exposure to carcinogens and pathogens in the station, and bringing these home to their families. Learn how statutes and standards can support a safe workplace, and make stronger arguments to take action.

This presentation will emphasize the importance of tailoring the design to optimize departmental response times. Every department operates in a different manner. We will review various planning strategies that can serve career and volunteer departments, with a heavy focus on where and how turn-out gear can be stored to increase turnout times while mitigating exposure risk. We will also share research and explain the methodology for calculating response times.

The upcoming 2026 edition, NFPA 1400, Standard on Fire Service Training, will be a new standard that combines and updates several NFPA's existing standards 1402, 1403, 1404, 1407, 1408, 1410, and 1451. Besides consolidation of previous standards into one document, revisions will also have an impact on all fire training operations and facilities, including facilities located at dedicated fire training centers, fire stations, and other locations. The facilities portion of NFPA 1400 (formerly NFPA 1402) was overhauled to create new, minimum requirements for all training facilities. This important change will be reviewed, showing how it addresses substandard training structures and props to improve safety for training participants. It is being updated again for the 2026 edition, affecting new designs while also being retroactive to all existing training facilities. Examples include live fire training structures (burn buildings), drill towers, and technical rescue props, including props built into fire stations, that require modifications to remain in compliance with NFPA's minimum requirements.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Standards (CALEA) has hundreds of pages addressing requirements on every aspect of law enforcement policy. Wading through this volume of information and understanding how it applies to your new or renovated facility can be challenging. This program will discuss where the attendee needs to start and how CALEA will impact the design of their new Police Station.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its way into the design and construction of public safety facilities, offering new opportunities to enhance efficiency and innovation. While AI's current role in public safety design is still emerging, this session will explore its potential to impact the industry in the near future. The presentation will highlight examples where AI has been successfully implemented in areas such as automating routine tasks, data analysis, and optimizing building layouts. We will also discuss how AI could be applied in the future to improve design workflows, increase building adaptability, and enhance safety and operational efficiency in public safety facilities. Attendees will gain an understanding of AI’s capabilities today and where it might take us in the future, gain an understanding of the practical application of AI tools in design, and discover how AI can enhance project planning and design decision-making moving forward.

As local governments around the country face more constrained budgets, their need for suitable public safety facilities remains the same. Multi-agency (fire, law enforcement, city hall, etc.) facilities have increased in popularity due to potential for cost savings. This presentation will explain the process of designing a facility that not only houses multiple agencies, but does so successfully. Through sensible design, shared/non-shared spaces and controlled access, a combined facility can be a comprehensive and cost effective solution to a local government’s facility needs.

A case study of the Rosemount, MN Police and Public Works facility, a 160,000-square-foot facility located on a 20-acre site within one of the fastest growing Minnesota cities. This multi-agency facility was thoughtfully planned to maximize shared space and collaboration between the departments while providing the necessary secure facilities for police operations. At 50,000 SF, the police station includes workspace, interview rooms, temporary holding, evidence processing/storage, indoor 25-yd tactical gun range, physical training and wellness areas, and a 35-stall squad garage.

This project was delivered through a Construction Manager Agent (CMA) approach. We will touch on how the CMA approach benefited this project through collaborative planning, cost control, and quality assurance. We will share our experience navigating the complexities of construction, from design to completion, and lessons learned from the design and construction teams, as well as the Police Department. Additionally, during this case study we will highlight the unique features of this facility, how to accommodate efficient operational flow while working within a shared facility, adaptability, wellness functions, and the bases for planning a successful facility.

Let’s face it: in our busy, hyper-connected world, getting your community involved can be tough. You can do everything well – engage the right experts, choose the perfect site, and create an amazing design – but if your community isn’t on board, your project may fail. So, how do you break through the noise to start real conversations? How do you motivate people to join in discussions that will shape their community’s future? This session dives into not just how, but also when and where to engage with the public. You'll discover effective strategies for involving your community early in the process, with the right information, message and support. Once you've got their attention, what’s next? We’ll offer an interactive crash course on the innovative tools and technologies available to help create investment in the project, drive meaningful conversations and build consensus with confidence.

Ever wonder what separates an award-winning design from the rest? Three judges from the 2024 Station Design Awards will offer a behind-the-scenes look into the judging process and share insights on what sets top-tier designs apart, how innovative concepts become industry standards, and the key elements of designs that elevate public safety facilities. This session is for designers, project managers, facilities personnel and architects who want to understand the evolving trends and criteria that award juries use to evaluate public safety facilities. Gain insights into the trends, standards, and innovative ideas that elevate a project in award competitions and understand why some great designs slip down the rankings and how to avoid these common pitfalls in your work.

Federal grant programs, particularly those administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), can provide critical funding to outfit, renovate or build a new public safety building, but navigating the competitive process of grant funding can be daunting. During this presentation, participants will learn the key questions to ask before receiving a grant and gain a foundational understanding of federal grant programs to understand the answers. With over a decade of grant management experience, Dr. Wilmoth will also share practical strategies to enhance project eligibility and competitiveness from successful past projects, including a $2 million grant awarded for renovation of the City of Anaheim Emergency Operations Center in California. The session will conclude with a discussion about engaging local, state, and federal elected officials to garner support for proposed projects.

This is a fast-paced session on the challenges of more than a dozen unique fire station sites, including describing the problem-solving and best practices for the process, and ultimate solutions. Site challenges include easements, grading, drainage, existing conditions, site access and apparatus turning, community design guidelines, training water runoff at training facilities, ADA accessibility, and planning for future site development.

What is Value Engineering (VE) and why is it a Dark Art? Where is the magic in saving costs? Isn’t VE just cutting costs, counting widgets, using cut-rate materials, finding cheap labor, ignoring regulatory requirements, and building out of cardboard? It’s none of these things. Applied correctly, value engineering should create value for your project. So why is value engineering considered a last resort when cost-cutting becomes the norm? Maybe people don’t understand the concepts and the information in a manner that can help them maximize value. How do you begin this effort, what tools do you need and where do you find the correct information? Listen and learn how value engineering can work specifically for fire, police and public safety facilities and their sites. Explore the tools you can use to successfully design and build the optimal facility within your budget. Learn about cost-effective means for planning, feasibility, design and construction.

This session will focus on how the public safety facility design can support planned and emergency activations of the EOC. Public safety personnel spend endless hours preparing and training for an increasing number of planned and emergency events such as inclement weather, public unrest, protests, terrorist acts, and special and planned events. This session explores EOC activation triggers and the facility design considerations that support facilities' readiness during EOC activations of various scales and complexities. After a very active 2024 hurricane season, we’ll share lessons learned from the complications and challenges created by these storms.

New protocols at the fireground to remove contaminants are essential, but they don’t complete the job. Designing a proper decon laundry that is compliant with NFPA 1851 guidelines and builds on results from current research is crucial to the health and safety of returning firefighters and to everyone back at the station. Using 3-D and “walk-through” models, see a variety of facilities that treat decon as a flow-through process moving from dirty to clean. The models range in scale from large central stations to small substations to renovations where the process needs to be “shoehorned” in.

In this unique interactive session, attendees will get to experience a simulation of three firefighter alerting systems and how they affect the sympathetic nervous system. Attendees will learn the science behind these systems and the impact to firefighters’ health, including both cardiovascular burden and sleep health. The session will detail the advantages and disadvantages of each system (ideal for those considering building a new station or renovating) and explore station enhancements to improve the health of firefighters (ideal for those who want effective health improvements with low barriers to entry). This presentation will wrap up with actionable suggestions for chiefs to implement regardless of their budget constraints (from low-cost, to top-of-the-line options). 

The rising costs of designing and constructing public safety facilities have become a significant challenge, often drawing public scrutiny, and stretching departmental budgets and funding viability. This presentation will offer systematic strategies to manage and reduce expenses effectively upfront. Key approaches include data-driven decision-making, identifying cost drivers, fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders, and exploring ways to get your project built. Emphasis is on long-term planning, flexible designs to accommodate future needs, designs to support operations based on how facilities are really being used, and ensuring decisions made today won’t lead to costly future burdens.

Selecting the right design and construction team is one of the most critical steps in delivering a successful public safety facility. This session will provide a comprehensive guide to developing effective Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Driscoll will demystify the RFQ/RFP process of how these tools are designed to function, what key information should be included, and how to align them with your department’s unique project goals. Gain insights on how to craft RFQs/RFPs that attract the best-qualified teams, facilitate a fair evaluation process, and set the foundation for successful project delivery.

Explore the many details that go into making your Police Station's Training, Interview Rooms, Patrol, and Line of Safety more functional and successful. From the elements that go into productive Interview Rooms, to the aspects that go into a successful Training venue, to the details of an effective and efficient Patrol area, we will explore thoughtful planning and design of key details for your Law Enforcement facility.

Designing a new Training Facility starts with identifying your training goals and reviewing your training process, which is the first step in establishing a new vision for your agency. This effort moves to developing a list of needs and wants. The presentation will compare training spaces and functions, from simple to complex, and options including classrooms, physical fitness, burn training, and firing ranges. The last step focuses on identifying ways to meet the goals through community support, agency leadership, and partnership opportunities.

Fire Station Projects Simplified: Construction projects can be challenging, but an Owner’s Representative will make life much easier for you. Acting on your behalf and your best interests, they handle the tough work of managing your fire station remodel or new construction, from developing a scope and budget to final delivery of the project. An Owners Representative will oversee the project budgeting and design, coordinate and manage contractors, drive project schedules, and control costs. Their goal is to streamline the process and you receive a high-quality fire facility that meets your needs without the headaches typically associated with construction.

Architectural projects often begin with the realization that your existing facility no longer meets the capacity and operational requirements for your organization. Founded in 1850, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey is planning for the future to incorporate best practices and new technologies. Like many growing counties, they face challenges with existing facilities including inadequate space for operations, multiple facilities dispersed throughout the county, and aging infrastructure that struggles to meet maintenance and modern building code standards. This presentation uses Ocean County Sheriff’s Office as a case study to explore how the architectural design process can be used to gather critical data including existing facility assessments, space needs analysis, conceptual design options and budgetary cost estimates. We will demonstrate how the information developed through this process ultimately led to the creation of a new facility design that consolidated operations into one facility that includes Sheriff Administration, Criminal Investigations, Forensics Laboratory, Office of Emergency Management, 911 Dispatch, and County Information Technology. We will also define the traditional design steps used by architects and what you need to know to identify a design team and understand how you become a valuable member in the design process.

The Mandan Hidatsa Arikara (MHA) Nation Emergency Operations Center (EOC), along with the Three Affiliated Tribes Fire Management Facility, launched on June 6, 2024, at the Fort Berthold Reservation. Established as a vital hub for safety and coordination, the facility serves the MHA Nation and the broader North Central North Dakota area. Within months of its opening, the center faced an unprecedented challenge during the region’s most severe wildfires in over a century. Propelled by 78 mph winds, the fires devastated more than 134,000 acres, including 6,000 near Mandaree and 11,746 at The Bear Den Fire near Lake Sakakawea. The EOC’s operational effectiveness was underscored by its ability to continuously support emergency teams—feeding them, supplying necessary materials, and managing logistics for air and ground firefighting efforts. This included coordinating helicopters, firefighting planes, and on-ground fire management teams, showcasing the facility’s capability to handle complex, multi-agency responses in real time.

Fire stations are complex facilities where every detail, no matter how small, can impact daily operations and safety. This advance course focuses on room by room product, materials, and equipment of specific details that are necessary in today’s firehouses. From choosing the right locking mechanisms for bedroom lockers to strategically locating gas-shutoff reset switches in the kitchen, this course will dive into the often-overlooked yet critical details that can significantly enhance the functionality of your fire station. Through thoughtful planning and smart design, you can save square footage, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency. This session will provide practical insights and actionable recommendations for making design decisions that lead to a more streamlined and cost-effective fire station.

This presentation will explore the critical role that physical facilities play in attracting and retaining top-quality law enforcement officers. By understanding the specific needs and preferences of modern officers, departments can design and implement building features that enhance morale, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. The presentation will delve into key areas such as building design and layout, amenities & facilities, technology integration, and sustainability & environmental responsibility.  

Details coming soon!