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Fire stations of the world: Major renovations at Borger Fire Station in Texas, USThe City of Borger celebrated the opening of its renovated fire station in 2017. Parkhill Architects collaborated with the City of Borger to revitalise the fire station, police station and municipal court. The renovation of these civil buildings has helped Borger emphasise their community values. Renovations to the existing building and additions to the fire truck bays were included in this project and a little over $2 million later, the Borger Fire Department's expansion and renovations are complete. Time began taking its toll with a leaking roof, sleeping quarters were outdated and the engines just barely cleared the doors. After 35 years of living and working in a converted jail, the fire department was experiencing growing pains. Along with staff growth, apparatus purchases and the need for technology improvements, the facility no longer met the needs of the department. The citizens of Borger approved funds to completely gut the structure, renovate and expand the existing facility to meet the current demands.
The Borger Fire Department, which is led by one fire chief and 24 fire fighters, provides the first response to structure fires, vehicular accidents, wildfires, hazardous materials, dangerous situations and emergency medical calls within a response area of over 450 square miles. Their former facilities were not fit to meet those obligations. The challenge was to reconfigure within an existing layout that never was intended to house the necessities of a fire station. Renovations included starting over on the interior layout. With only the structure remaining, the floor plan was developed to include additions to the structure to fulfil the new programme. An addition to accommodate a new kitchen and shift pantries allowed the old kitchen to be converted to dining space and allowed for an enlarged living space. As with many fire departments today, renovations included accommodations for women fire fighters ie restroom, shower, lockers and dorm room. The office area was expanded to include space for the station captain and the fire marshal. A fitness space was created within one wing of the old structure, which allows staff to maintain agility and strength. The department, knowing the importance of continued education and training and that nearby resources are scarce, included space that would allow on-site classroom training as well as distance-learning. Within the existing footprint, a 30-seat training room that has A/V capabilities was provided; it has a separate entrance and is isolated from the remaining portions of the station to reduce distraction. Along with an addition that contains restrooms for the training space, a training office and uniform storage, the department no longer would have to send staff to other cities or regions for training purposes. Paul Hare, project architect, said, “The entire facility was too small for what they needed. So, we went through and added the necessary classrooms, offices and additional apparatus bays.” The L-shaped building’s exterior was covered in a brick veneer and re-roofed with copper-coloured hipped metal to make a statement in the residential area. On the interior, a classroom/meeting room was added for continued education. The kitchen and living areas have an open layout. The materials used throughout these areas are all commercial grade for durability and easy cleanup. Additional features include a fenced-in patio with a BBQ pit, separate men’s and women’s bunk rooms, a garage and an equipment room for fire fighters on-call. All areas have direct access to the multi-stall, drive-through apparatus bay to encourage quick response time to all emergencies. A new private gym is a proud feature of the fire station. CrossFit training equipment and other top-notch technology were chosen for the space. A custom rubber floor features the Borger Fire Department logo. The gym is available for use of both the fire station and police department. “Those are the people who we want to save our family members and such, so giving them that space was really a treat”, said architectural intern Nichole Carroway of Parkhill. The Borger Fire Department is a fully professional department. Led by fire chief and assistant chief, the 24 members of the Department are divided into three shifts consisting each of a captain, lieutenant, two engineers and four fire fighters. The Department is also served by a full time fire marshal. Sources: Borger Fire Department, Parkhill Architects, News Channel 10 |
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