KETCHIKAN FIRE STATION 1
The 24000 SF replacement facility includes fire department HQ and administrative facilities, 4 apparatus bays, and related support functions, 8 sleeping rooms and living facilities for men and women fire and emergency operations personnel.
The new facility is designed to meet the requirements of agencies and laws including FEMA, NFPA, OSHA, and ADA, as well as local and state adopted building codes. To fit all the other program components on the site, the team created a mezzanine and third story for administrative functions. The result is an efficient plan that provides for the immediate and future needs of the Ketchikan Fire Department.
Specific challenges included a very constricted site, located on Main Street, which has a 6 % slope and required a creative solution to the apparatus bay configuration. Providing safe and clearly defined public verses employee parking, accommodating a concrete apron appropriately sized to park and service engines, both current and possible future models, while providing crucial line of sight for all drivers, especially those operating emergency services vehicles as they enter the public roadway were all important site design factors.
Its location in the heart of historical downtown Ketchikan Sawmill District required that the design complement the existing adjacent structures in scale and design. While a pitched gable roof was desirable, the limited site area did not allow for large eaves and the routing of roof drainage. Our team worked to provide a solution that met the aesthetic requirements of the Ketchikan Historical Society, providing a low sloped roof, combined with protective canopies that correspond to the neighboring buildings.