FIRE DEPARTMENT | 2022 IX
New Fire Station Planning Underway The City of Lake Worth has started the process of evaluating the need of a replacement fire station facility for our community. The city has partnered with the Eikon Consulting Group to conduct a fire station feasibility study. The original fire station was constructed in the 1940s with several remodels taking place over the past decade. Since the original design, the fire department has expanded significantly to provide the highest level of service and protection to our customers, said Fire Chief Ryan Arthur. We’ve continued to expand and conform to the requirements and needs of those same customers. With growth comes a need for a larger facility to safely house fire personnel. The existing fire station fails to meet today’s life safety and fire code regulations putting personnel at risk of serious injury or worse.
most efficient function for the firefighters to perform their duties. In addition, the separation of contamination zones is not maximized with the current facility. It is important for the safety and health of first responders to minimize exposure from dirty to clean spaces.
Due to the growth of the department, several offices have been converted to bunks and spaces have been re-purposed as necessary for equipment or storage. Additionally, areas in the apparatus bays have been occupied with hose or equipment storage. While every space is being utilized to the maximum potential, the importance of separation of contaminants, physical and mental health of the responders and the increased functionality of the space is not being utilized to Following some preliminary reviews related to the fire station the fullest. study, Eikon Consulting Group made recommendations The existing site limits the amount of parking available and has presented options for the city to evaluate moving for the facility which presents a concern for serving the forward. Brad Isbell from Eikon wrote, “There are several community and personnel accessing the building. There challenges with the existing facility and location.” The is limited space for public service or health evaluations. original apparatus bays have height limitations for the door The bays are also only accessible from a back-in approach openings and the existing second floor structure prevents presenting potential damage to equipment. additional space to be added which would allow for the increase in new equipment height and door openings. The The age of the building also presents a long-term energy addition of vehicular exhaust systems has added to the efficiency and maintenance cost. The newer codes and restriction in height currently. The second-floor stairway and design standards allow for more of a sustainable design access are most likely not compliant with currently adopted and lower overall maintenance cost for the operation of codes. This applies to the majority of the facility as well. The facilities. The current facility will only continue to require special adjacencies of the building are not providing the maintenance and repairs that could prove to be a budgetary concern as the years go by. There are advantages to considering relocation of the Fire Department to the site adjacent to the senior center that would address several concerns with the existing facility. A few of these are listed on the next page. Due to the age of the existing facility and the challenges observed it is our opinion the site adjacent to the senior center addresses the concerns and provides a long-term solution for the future growth of the Fire Department to adequately serve community. 2022 will be a year with highlighted focus on fire prevention measures throughout the community. 12
LAKE WORTH DIRECTORY
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2022
