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13 October 2023
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Fire stations of the world: Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service, Wisconsin, US
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The new, state-of-the-art Mount Horeb Public Safety Building situated at 400 Blue Mounds Street, Mount Horeb in Dane County, Wisconsin in the US, unites the Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department and the Mount Horeb Police Department in one facility. Layout and design of the 55 500 square foot building considered the individual department’s needs and multipurpose solutions to maximize efficiency and accessibility throughout the building. Construction began in December 2017 and was completed in 2020.
The fire department was designed to minimise response time and get staff to the scene as quickly as possible. The two-storey wing offers two stairway entry points and a fire pole, which allows firefighters to get from bed to engine in fewer than 30 seconds. A drive-through five-bay garage supports all apparatus along with full sight lines to apron and bay from dispatch. The fire department wing was designed with education and training for both departments in mind.
The Fire Department Mount Horeb also has added bedrooms, intern quarters and many more functional areas to the fire and EMS portion of the facilities.
“Our new station features a blend of technology and tradition in a tastefully and delightfully decorated engine house. You need not be a firefighter or a fire buff to capture the delight that is present. Visitors will see fire and rescue apparatus-all in a rich and unusual jet black, a marvellous toy fire engine collection, antique memorabilia including firefighting equipment, framed prints and original paintings, complete with two fire poles, one functional and one historic. No visiting hours are actually scheduled but seldom is there a time when members are not present to conduct tours.”
A large, shared training classroom that has adjacent storage, a conference room and a study room allows for flexible hands-on instruction. Other amenities include a kitchen/dining area, bedrooms and lounges. The facility was designed to allow multiple training opportunities indoors and out, including a window that’s directly off of the bay for bailouts, removable railings on the mezzanine for training in ladder operations, an on-site fire training structure for search, rescue and live burns training and police breach and clear training and hydrants at the rear of the building for water supply operations.
The building also offers accessibility and security features for emergency scenarios, including shared educational space to serve as an emergency operations centre for full operation during emergency or lockdown, an EMS treatment room that affords easy access to emergency vehicles, zones for decontamination and containment of workplace hazards, including a ventilated gear room and two gear extractors and an emergency/911 button that’s in the main entrance vestibule.
Design features
Shared spaces, including meeting and conference spaces, break room, restrooms and exercise facility
Shared building systems, including plumbing, fire protection, HVAC, electrical and emergency
A museum in the central lobby invites visitors to explore the history of the Village’s fire and police departments
A tower that remains lit at night so that the building is always visible to community
Indoor training area
Fast-exit garage doors with a drive through truck bay
Designated “clean-up” areas for cleaning equipment after calls
Panic alarms throughout facility
Lockdown area in entry vestibule
Sleeping quarters and kitchen with direct access to the truck bay.
The combined building reduces cost and waste and creates an inherent connection between public safety departments.
Sources: Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department, Bray Architects
The fire department was designed to minimise response time and get staff to the scene as quickly as possible. The two-storey wing offers two stairway entry points and a fire pole, which allows firefighters to get from bed to engine in fewer than 30 seconds. A drive-through five-bay garage supports all apparatus along with full sight lines to apron and bay from dispatch. The fire department wing was designed with education and training for both departments in mind.
The Fire Department Mount Horeb also has added bedrooms, intern quarters and many more functional areas to the fire and EMS portion of the facilities.
“Our new station features a blend of technology and tradition in a tastefully and delightfully decorated engine house. You need not be a firefighter or a fire buff to capture the delight that is present. Visitors will see fire and rescue apparatus-all in a rich and unusual jet black, a marvellous toy fire engine collection, antique memorabilia including firefighting equipment, framed prints and original paintings, complete with two fire poles, one functional and one historic. No visiting hours are actually scheduled but seldom is there a time when members are not present to conduct tours.”
A large, shared training classroom that has adjacent storage, a conference room and a study room allows for flexible hands-on instruction. Other amenities include a kitchen/dining area, bedrooms and lounges. The facility was designed to allow multiple training opportunities indoors and out, including a window that’s directly off of the bay for bailouts, removable railings on the mezzanine for training in ladder operations, an on-site fire training structure for search, rescue and live burns training and police breach and clear training and hydrants at the rear of the building for water supply operations.
The building also offers accessibility and security features for emergency scenarios, including shared educational space to serve as an emergency operations centre for full operation during emergency or lockdown, an EMS treatment room that affords easy access to emergency vehicles, zones for decontamination and containment of workplace hazards, including a ventilated gear room and two gear extractors and an emergency/911 button that’s in the main entrance vestibule.
Design features
Shared spaces, including meeting and conference spaces, break room, restrooms and exercise facility
Shared building systems, including plumbing, fire protection, HVAC, electrical and emergency
A museum in the central lobby invites visitors to explore the history of the Village’s fire and police departments
A tower that remains lit at night so that the building is always visible to community
Indoor training area
Fast-exit garage doors with a drive through truck bay
Designated “clean-up” areas for cleaning equipment after calls
Panic alarms throughout facility
Lockdown area in entry vestibule
Sleeping quarters and kitchen with direct access to the truck bay.
The combined building reduces cost and waste and creates an inherent connection between public safety departments.
Sources: Mount Horeb Area Joint Fire Department, Bray Architects
