The Station House
Can the COLORS of a Stationhouse Affect Mental and Physical Well-Being?
(This is part one of a two-part series.) Physical health and safety have recently come to the forefront of fire station design, but very little design Karen Collins consideration is given to mental well-being. Architectural design of a fire station not only addresses living quarters, traffic flow and layout, but also the functional needs for services provided, community events and personnel lifestyle. Interior elements such as lighting, sound, temperature and even smell have been explored by designers to help improve quality of station life. The importance of color, however, is not typically discussed. In order to effectively design a space that will promote well-being, an understanding of the human body’s natural reaction to stress and to color is essential.
Stress: The Good and the Bad Beneficial stress (or eustress) can result in helpful consequences. Defining characteristics are: short term; energizing and motivating; within coping ability; feels exciting; increases focus and
32 Fall • 2020
performance. Although this can be useful in a rare, emergency situation, continued stress will have a different impact. The physical reactions of normal stress (or distress) include: increases in heart rate and blood pressure, respiration increases and muscle tension to name a few. Excessive stress not only causes these physical reactions, but emotional responses as well. Lack of focus or concentration, tendency to withdraw, changes in behavior, addiction or abuse of drugs and alcohol are some of the negative effects.
The Reality of Stress for First Responders In a 2019 survey, CareerCast lists firefighting as the second highest stressful job just under active military. Psychologist Dr. Nicola Davies indicates that “prolonged stress is one of the leading causes of health problems among firefighters.” Most reports and studies that candidly address the mental well-being of the first responder have been written in just the last five to six years. Although there are programs that offer valuable help, many firefighters are still privately suffering by choosing to remain silent. Research shows additional ways that firefighters are combating these
emotional responses. Diet, rest, and exercise are proven to have a positive psychological effect. For others, the use of sarcasm and dark humor help to alleviate stress. Relaxed chatting, while working as a team, acts as an informal way of debriefing. Very little is written about the actual stationhouse and the impact it can have on minimizing stress. Architect Paul Erickson uses a concept he calls
www.carolinafirejournal.com
“Immersive Design” when designing fire stations. He defines this as a strategy to link human physiology with the built environment to “encourage physical, emotional and mental healing.”
Link between Mental and Physical Health Research shows that there is a connection between brain function and the immune system response. As
Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal
