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10 January 2025
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Fire stations of the world: Akron Fire Department opens new Fire Station 12, Ohio, US
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The Akron Fire Department’s Fire Station 12 officially opened on Wednesday, 13 November 2024, during a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the new facility. The original Station 12 was constructed in 1952, serving the community for more than 70 years. Now, firefighters will have a 16 800 square-foot facility. This is the city's third new station in seven years. Overall, construction cost $9.5 million and was designed to keep first responders safer and healthier while also serving the community.
“In 2018, the City of Akron broke ground on Fire Station 2 in Middlebury, which was the first new fire station in Akron in 22 years,” said Mayor Shammas Malik in a news release. “Now, we are opening our third new station in seven years, which is a huge accomplishment made possible thanks to our residents passing the Issue 4 income tax increase back in 2017. These new stations are honouring the past through their design while also incorporating best practices that keep residents and first responders safe. We’re proud to offer this amazing new resource to our community and our firefighters, who sacrifice so much for Akron.”
City officials said some highlights of the new station include:
The station was designed by DLZ architects and was built by Metis Construction Services and Kenmore Construction. The City of Akron selected DLZ to assist the Akron Engineering Bureau with the design of the new Akron Fire Station. The previous facility had met the end of its useful life and no longer had the ability to accommodate modern firefighting equipment, training and safety techniques.
The new 16 800 square foot fire station was designed to provide a state-of-the-art facility promoting the health and safety of its firefighters. The programme of the new station includes a three-bay apparatus facility, six individual dormitories, captain’s housing, commercial grade kitchen, an extensive fitness room, meeting room, office for police support and miscellaneous support spaces. Also included is a two and half storey hose tower, which serves to hang hoses as well as double as a training area for climbing and repelling. Ample room for a variety of firefighting vehicles, equipment and training provides the needed flexibility to meet the future needs of the department.
With careful planning and dialogue with Akron’s fire team, the facility will has a series of features to assist the firefighters with decontamination of gear and small equipment to aid in the removal of carcinogens and other harmful particulates from individuals returning from a call. Each area is distinguished and separated into zones based on their safety levels ‘green’, ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ zones.
The selected site for the new station had multiple geotechnical issues that required additional engineering and remediation techniques. DLZ worked closely with the owner and contractors to ensure proper steps were taken to construct a successful facility. Construction is scheduled to be completed by October 2024, marking the opening of the brand-new station and a revitalisation of the surrounding area.
“I’m excited about the upgraded Station 12 and its ability to keep our firefighters safer from the harmful carcinogens they get exposed to while on duty,” Fire Chief Leon Henderson said in a news release. “The Akron Fire Department is able to better support the community with a new space that caters to the health and wellbeing of our firefighters/medics. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this station a reality including our residents, Akron City Council, the former administration, our past Fire Chief Joseph Natko, our city staff including our firefighters/medics and our engineering teams, and especially Akron Fire Deputy Chief Richard Vober who has led the management of this project from top to bottom.”
Sources: DLZ architects, Spectrum News 1, Signal Akron
“In 2018, the City of Akron broke ground on Fire Station 2 in Middlebury, which was the first new fire station in Akron in 22 years,” said Mayor Shammas Malik in a news release. “Now, we are opening our third new station in seven years, which is a huge accomplishment made possible thanks to our residents passing the Issue 4 income tax increase back in 2017. These new stations are honouring the past through their design while also incorporating best practices that keep residents and first responders safe. We’re proud to offer this amazing new resource to our community and our firefighters, who sacrifice so much for Akron.”
City officials said some highlights of the new station include:
- Three full apparatus bays
- Six individual living quarters
- Commercial-grade kitchen
- Fitness room
- Equipment decontamination facilities
- Air drying hose tower
- Two detox sauna pods
The station was designed by DLZ architects and was built by Metis Construction Services and Kenmore Construction. The City of Akron selected DLZ to assist the Akron Engineering Bureau with the design of the new Akron Fire Station. The previous facility had met the end of its useful life and no longer had the ability to accommodate modern firefighting equipment, training and safety techniques.
The new 16 800 square foot fire station was designed to provide a state-of-the-art facility promoting the health and safety of its firefighters. The programme of the new station includes a three-bay apparatus facility, six individual dormitories, captain’s housing, commercial grade kitchen, an extensive fitness room, meeting room, office for police support and miscellaneous support spaces. Also included is a two and half storey hose tower, which serves to hang hoses as well as double as a training area for climbing and repelling. Ample room for a variety of firefighting vehicles, equipment and training provides the needed flexibility to meet the future needs of the department.
With careful planning and dialogue with Akron’s fire team, the facility will has a series of features to assist the firefighters with decontamination of gear and small equipment to aid in the removal of carcinogens and other harmful particulates from individuals returning from a call. Each area is distinguished and separated into zones based on their safety levels ‘green’, ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ zones.
The selected site for the new station had multiple geotechnical issues that required additional engineering and remediation techniques. DLZ worked closely with the owner and contractors to ensure proper steps were taken to construct a successful facility. Construction is scheduled to be completed by October 2024, marking the opening of the brand-new station and a revitalisation of the surrounding area.
“I’m excited about the upgraded Station 12 and its ability to keep our firefighters safer from the harmful carcinogens they get exposed to while on duty,” Fire Chief Leon Henderson said in a news release. “The Akron Fire Department is able to better support the community with a new space that caters to the health and wellbeing of our firefighters/medics. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this station a reality including our residents, Akron City Council, the former administration, our past Fire Chief Joseph Natko, our city staff including our firefighters/medics and our engineering teams, and especially Akron Fire Deputy Chief Richard Vober who has led the management of this project from top to bottom.”
Sources: DLZ architects, Spectrum News 1, Signal Akron
