Mission Critical Design

Mission Critical Design

Introduction

Public entities have to do more with less, and the design and construction of emergency response facilities is no exception. Tight budgets, complicated schedules, and public relations can present a wide range of challenges. On top of this, successful facility improvements must be far-sighted, and meet the demands of today while maintaining the flexibility to effectively support future operations. With all this in mind, seeing an emergency response project from conception to operation can be daunting. An experienced design team, with the requisite expertise, will help maximize a community and department’s investment and set the stage for long-term efficiency.

Successful law enforcement and fire station projects address both functional requirements and aesthetic considerations, and serve as community cornerstones. Achieving these goals requires significant buy-in and support from the community—an element of the project process Mackenzie’s team is passionate about. Keeping the public informed and engaged through outreach sessions is integral in gaining community support, particularly if siting a new station or seeking voter approval of a bond.

In the following pages, we illustrate themes and strategies in Mackenzie’s approach to emergency response facility design, including:

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Durability + Longevity

Mackenzie designs essential facilities with the future in mind. A new or newly renovated facility should be designed to last with minimal fuss, but supporting longevity isn’t always straightforward. Heavy use, occasional abuse, and deferred maintained are realities for public projects that must be anticipated and addressed in facility design.

Our design team integrates materials that are cost-effective, durable, easily maintained, and locally sourced. Materials should be easy to service and, when necessary, replace. In aggregate, these issues require a great deal of forethought and planning.

The ease of use of systems in the facility is another important factor for the long-term success of the facility. Studies have shown that complicated heating, ventilating, and cooling systems may not achieve the designed efficiencies if occupants override settings, or do not understand how they are intended to perform. The following are three key approaches for successful early design and decision making:

ƒ Use systems whose operation is thoroughly understood by the crew, and which have easily available replacement parts that can be locally serviced.

ƒ When choosing materials, assess their projected longevity and long-term maintenance needs.

ƒ Strike an intentional balance between aesthetics and durability, so the facility displays embodies the vision while supporting cost-effective and efficient operations.

Seismic Improvements & Renovations

Renovation projects often include a range of goals such as increased size, improved operational efficiency, facility hardening, and seismic rehabilitation. Our design team strives to integrate these goals to maximize the value of the effort and minimize the impact to the staff.

It is crucial to understand all the components that go into the cost of a renovation project. In addition to the cost of construction, there is the cost of design-related activities (including survey, geotechnical investigation, materials testing, etc.); obtaining a building permit; moving and storing furnishings; relocating staff; and staff time for managing the project.

Gaining public support to fund a renovation project can be a complicated process, requiring a nuanced and articulate outreach program. Essential facilities are carefully maintained and often look, at first glance, to be in good condition. Clear communication of operational needs and challenges is important. The following approaches can aid in communication and budget management of your renovation project:

ƒ Determine if the facility will continue to provide service during the project. Substantial savings can be achieved by allowing the contractor full facility access during construction, but this is not always feasible.

ƒ Include a contingency budget for unforeseen issues.

ƒ Hold public meetings inside the facility, with the design team in attendance, so everyone can gain a firsthand understanding of the needs not visible to the casual observer.

ƒ Consider using the Construction Manager/General Contractor delivery method, in which a construction company is engaged during the design process to provide more certainty on the construction price.

SANDY FIRE—AFTER

DEPOE BAY FIRE—AFTER

TVF&R—AFTER

SANDY FIRE—BEFORE

DEPOE BAY FIRE—BEFORE

TVF&R—BEFORE

Community Engagement and Context

We find that public projects take form when design ideas authentically reflect the individual community’s characteristics and culture. These buildings are often legacy projects, designed to last up to a century, and play an integral, long-term part in the life of the communities they support. Successfully delivering a project like this requires a nuanced understanding of the community, overarching aspirations, and empirical projections like demographic growth.

Mackenzie is passionate about immersing ourselves in the communities we design for and understanding the expectations of the diverse stakeholders within them. Our commitment to realizing and embracing a community’s culture can be distilled into these steps:

ƒ Establish a design that reflects community expectation, both near and long term.

ƒ Root design considerations in operational requirements that support the needs of the community and the emergency responders.

ƒ Pursue a collaborative project process and design response that citizens can rally behind and support, particularly when asked to fund a general obligation bond.

Enhancing Culture: Fire & EMS

Emergency responders have a very unique and stressful job, blending work and living together with fellow comrades. Developing a station that provides for an efficient work flow but also provides for areas to train together, eat together, collaborate, relax and unwind are critical. Space to promote social interactions and space to allow downtime to recharge are uniquely addressed to align and support an agency’s mission and culture. Mackenzie finds it important to develop spaces that gives individuals private areas as well as dynamic spaces that are vibrant and enhance the comradery of the crew.

Enhancing Culture: Law Enforcement

While the bulk of the work law enforcement professionals perform is outside the facility, the working dynamic, support infrastructure, and well-being the building brings to the officers is critical. The culture of a department or agency has a dramatic effect on public perception, internal working relations, officer retention and recruitment, and the dynamics affecting effective policing. At Mackenzie, we believe healthy and productive culture can be supported and strengthened through design. Considerations that enhance culture include:

ƒ Communal space for impromptu staff gathering and interaction.

ƒ Workplace techniques and modern furniture solutions that enhance communication.

ƒ Centralized vertical circulation that promotes staff engagement, visual connection between floors, and daylighting.

ƒ Position common spaces such as break rooms, outdoor patios, shared conference rooms, and locker and shower facilities to promote flow and convenience.

ƒ Plan space for memorabilia, imagery, and human-centric aspects of the department, to provide meaning, a collective history, and a sense of departmental pride.

1O Points To A Safer Fire Station

Excerpted and condensed from an article by Jeff Humphreys and Brett Hanson in Firehouse Magazine.

The design of essential services and emergency response facilities has long been focused on optimizing first responders’ ability to serve their community. A key, but sometimes overlooked, element of a successful facility is the safety of the responders themselves, and the security facilities that house them. The following are 10 measures to consider for your facility.

1. Dedicated Secure Parking

Whether it is a career, volunteer, or combination facility, opportunities for vandalism and theft can be minimized by separating staff and agency vehicle parking from public parking and publicly accessible areas. Dedicated parking areas for staff are a start, and fenced or walled secure parking areas are even better.

2. Protection of Building Infrastructure

Facility infrastructure like emergency generators, fuel storage, transformers, and communications equipment are often outside the building enclosure. It is best to locate these items out of public view in a secure portion of the site, which might be within the secure parking area, below grade, or in their own protective enclosure.

3. Building Secure Zone

While most facilities want to project a friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the entrance, lobby, and reception desk, it is advantageous to create distinct control points with restricted access doors, solid walls and lockable transaction counters. This can be accomplished at the lobby zone, enabling the public to enter lobby and speak with someone at a reception desk without entering secure staff-only areas.

4. Community Room

Often fire facility training rooms also serve as community rooms. When developing a dual-purpose training/community room, consider having two means of entry: one off the lobby where the public can enter, and a second from the secure portion of the facility.

5. Video Monitoring and Access Control

Digital and/or electronic security measures add a higher level of security and can reduce theft and vandalism. Cameras and electronic locks can serve as an added deterrent against thieves and vandals, and, if the situation arises, provide evidence in the prosecution of suspects.

MEZZANINE

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

6. Special Needs

Fire stations are frequently co-located with other uses, including training grounds, props for training, and helipads. Whether training components include purpose-built training towers, burn buildings, props or an apparatus driving training course, a common theme will be adequate space for the structure, distance from property lines, and physical and visual separation from civilian activity.

7. Hardened Stations

Although fire stations are not regularly subjected to attack, it has occurred. Combined police/fire facilities may want to consider hardening the entire facility, and not just the police portions of the building. This should entail vehicle barriers, bullet resistant glazing, and bullet resistant walls.

8. Fire Protection

While it is possible to build a code compliant fire station without automatic fire sprinklers, it remains a smart and low-cost strategy for protecting a fire station. However, protection from wild fires may require additional measures, and some of strategies that NFPA recommends for residential homes should be implemented for fire stations.

9. Secure Outdoor Area

Outdoor staff areas are a common feature in modern fire facilities, and provide exposure to fresh air, sunlight, and a place to decompress. Whether these are a balcony or a patio or both, areas should be visually screened and physically separated from the public.

10. Secure Apparatus Bay Access

Overhead doors are frequently left open to aid in ventilation, cooling or access with the apparatus bay. This reduces security for the staff, equipment, and building. Implementing a means to mitigate having the doors left open will improve security. This enables staff to gain access to apparatus bay from secure portions of building without any restriction, and limits unauthorized personnel to the bay itself.

Reprinted with permission of Firehouse Magazine ©2019

Operational Based Design: Fire

A well-designed fire station is based on the operational needs of the facility. There are commonalities between stations but generally no two are alike. Considerations for work flow will dictate adjacencies and drive room type, size and configuration. Thoughtful design focused on details of the station can enhance the functionality, long term durability and flexibility to accommodate evolving technologies, agency growth and safety of staff and occupants of the facility.

1. TRAINING/COMMUNITY ROOM

2. PUBLIC LOBBY WITH DISPLAYS

4. DECONTAMINATION ROOM

3. SCBA REFILL EQUIPMENT

10. APPARATUS BAY

7. TURNOUT STORAGE

8. REPORT WRITING

9. BUNK ROOMS WITH ALERT SYSTEM

6. DAY ROOM

5. ANCHORS, INTEGRATED TRAINING PROPS

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Operational Design: Law Enforcement

Operational design includes appropriately identifying, sizing, and positioning programmatic needs. Key design considerations for work flow and functionality include:

ƒ Separate police vehicle traffic and public traffic access to the station.

ƒ Site patrol vehicles near the primary mudroom entry or vertical circulation for ease of access.

ƒ Operational work flow in departing and returning to the facility should guide the positioning of key areas including evidence processing, armory, personnel equipment, and holding.

ƒ Design conference and touchdown spaces to support multiple divisions, encouraging departmental crossover and allowing for future growth.

2. BULLET RESISTANT RECEPTION

1. PUBLIC LOBBY

7. STAFF PERSONNEL LOCKERS

8. OFFICER REPORT WRITING

Operational Design: Law Enforcement

Building on a foundation of workflow and functionality solutions, Mackenzie’s design team layers in safety and security considerations, with strategies including:

ƒ Exterior security goals can be accomplished with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Applications include sight lines, lighting, vehicular protection, and avenues of approach.

ƒ Careful delineation of public and medium and high security zones, organized for safety and work flow.

ƒ Efficiently location of micro security zones around high security spaces, such as the booking and holding zones, evidence processing and storage, and the armory.

ƒ A welcoming plaza or lobby can enhance security by controlling access, sight lines, and approach vectors.

14. EXTERIOR BREAK AREA

13. OFFICER EVIDENCE PROCESSING

11. HIGH CAPACITY RECORDS STORAGE

12. EVIDENCE STORAGE

COMMUNITY RESOURCE

COMMUNICATIONS /DISPATCH

POLICE PROPERTY / EVIDENCE

POLICE OPERATIONS

DETECTIVES

POLICE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

BOOKING / SALLY PORT

18. PHYSICAL FITNESS ROOM

19. DISPATCH

16. BREAKROOM AND KITCHEN

17. ARMORY

15. QUIET ROOM

20. BRIEFING ROOM

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Architecture, University of Oregon

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky

Jeff Humphreys AIA, CSI, GGP, LEED AP BD+C, CPTED

Principal | Architect

With more than 25 years of experience, Jeff has focused his career on the assessment, design and development of fire and police facilities. Jeff has extensive experience with fire districts and police departments and working with stakeholders to usher them through all portions of a project. Jeff has been a speaker at national conferences on station design and has authored numerous articles on design strategies, best practices and project funding for public safety facilities. Jeff served on the International Association of Fire Chief’s Environmental Sustainability Committee and is a board member for the Oregon Fire Chief Foundation.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Licensed Architect: WA, OR, ID

LEED Accredited Professional BD+C

Green Globes Professional

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Oregon Fire Chief Foundation

Cathy Bowman NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, GGP, WELL AP

Senior Associate | Architect

Cathy is a licensed architect and serves as a project manager on Mackenzie’s public projects team. Since joining Mackenzie, she has focused on emergency response facilities and has worked on more than 20 fire facility projects since 2013. Cathy is managed remodels, seismic upgrades, needs assessments and new construction projects. She is passionate about public safety facilities and regularly participates in state and regional conferences for fire and law enforcement.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Licensed Architect: OR, WA

LEED Accredited Professional BD+C

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certification

Green Globes Professional

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Institute of Architects U.S. Green Building Council

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Architecture, University of Oregon

EDUCATION

Associate of Applied Technology, Clover Park Technical College

Brett Hanson AIA, LEED AP, CPTED Principal | Architect

Brett Hanson is a Principal and project manager with specialized expertise in police projects, and dedicated to design excellence in police and public facilities. His experience includes a full range of project development from programming through construction administration. He has strong organization and design abilities, and has the proven ability to oversee, manage, and produce clear, well coordinated documents and practical creative design solutions.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Licensed Architect: OR, WA

LEED Accredited Professional

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certification

Kimberly Doyle NCIDQ, GGP, GPCP Senior Associate | Interior Designer

With over 20 years of experience, Kim Doyle is a integral part of Mackenzie’s interior design team. Kim offers brings extensive expertise in project management, construction contract administration, space planning, programming, finish and furniture specifications, procurement, wayfinding, and construction documentation. Her experience specializes in emergency response and department of defense facilities, and also in corporate office, workplace, healthcare, and aerospace.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Green Globes Guiding Principles Compliance Professional

Green Globes Professional

National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ)

EDUCATION

MBA, George fox University

BS, MS, Civil Engineering; MS, Wood Science & Engineering Oregon State University

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Interior Design

Washington State University

David Linton SE, PE

Associate Principal | Structural Engineer

David is the structural engineering department head at Mackenzie, and has in-depth experience on the structural engineering of complex facilities. He has been the project manager on multiple essential facility seismic assessments. His proven track record of strong communication and collaboration has helped to deliver successful projects that meet client goals while maintaining the project schedule and budget. In addition to his work on public projects David has been heavily involved in many large, high-tech and office projects.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Professional Engineer: CA, OR

Structural Engineer: CA, ID, OR, WA

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Structural Engineers Association

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute

Alexis Bauer NCIDQ Associate Principal | Interior Designer

Alexis is an associate principal and senior designer working with Mackenzie since 2004. Alexis works extensively on workplace projects, tenant improvements and building repositioning projects for municipalities and commercial and corporate office clients. Her design work for new construction projects has focused primarily on civic and corporate facilities. Alexis is known for her ability to effectively communicate ideas to clients, contractors, and other Mackenzie designers and staff. She focuses on creating human centered design solutions for her clients.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ)

LAKE OSWEGO CITY HALL

IN PROGRESS: LYNNWOOD COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER

IN PROGRESS: MOUNT VERNON FIRE

IN PROGRESS: ST. HELENS POLICE STATION

IN PROGRESS: MOLALLA POLICE

IN PROGRESS: FOREST GROVE POLICE

IN PROGRESS: SILVERTON CIVIC CENTER

Leaders in Design. Partners in our Community.

Mackenzie

integrated design firm, with services including architecture; land use planning; interior design; structural, civil, and traffic engineering; transportation planning; and landscape architecture. Every client and every project is approached with a focus reflective of its unique characteristics and goals, from planning for the current and true needs to developing new or replacement facilities that reflect the values and context of the community and required longevity.

Design

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@2024

Jeff Humphreys, AIA, NCARB

Principal | Public Business Leader

P 503.887.2700 E jhumphreys@mcknze.com

Brett Hanson, AIA, NCARB

Principal | Public Business Leader

P 206.618.8713 E bhanson@mcknze.com

Portland, OR ƒ Vancouver, WA ƒ Seattle, WA

www.mackenzie.inc/business-unit/civic-public-safety