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Fire stations of the world: Chicago Engine Company 16, Illinois in the US
The new home for Chicago Engine Company 16 is a 19 725-square-foot fire house was constructed on the city-owned property at 3901 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago in 2012. It is a modified Prototype B engine company with a hazmat unit and include the following components: a large apparatus bay to house multiple emergency vehicles, full kitchen, locker rooms, toilet facilities, sleeping quarters, officers’ quarters, physical training room, meeting room, education room, EMS Field Division South offices, hazmat unit operations with associated storage a 150-foot communication tower and parking for approximately 30 vehicles. DLR Group's number one objective for the design of Engine Company 16 was to decrease response times by integrating the latest technology all within a sustainable environment. Unlike many fire departments, the Chicago Fire Department does not assign numbers to each station. Stations are generally referred to by the engine company or truck company assigned to each house. Chicago is divided into five districts and then subdivided further into 24 battalions. Engine Company 16 is one of 129 firehouses in Chicago. The Bureau of Operations is the CFD’s largest bureau, with a personnel strength of more than 4 500 uniformed fire fighters and paramedics, many of whom are “cross-trained” in the use of nearly 250 pieces of equipment and apparatus, including fire engines, fire trucks, ambulances, squads, helicopters and marine equipment. The Bureau receives more than 500 000 calls per year for emergency assistance and responds to fires, medical emergencies, hazardous material incidents and other emergency situations, to ensure the safety and well-being of Chicago residents and the 28 million visitors who pass through Chicago’s airports.
The Bureau of Operations consists of four divisions: Fire Suppression and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Special Operations and the Office of Fire Investigations (OFI). Energy efficient Using a modern design for living quarters, advanced training options and office workspace for officers, the energy efficient firehouse exceeded the City's baseline LEED V2.2 Silver Certification requirements to achieve LEED v3.0 Platinum certification, the first LEED Platinum firehouse in Illinois. A clerestory runs the full length of the facility to optimise day lighting. Design rigorously explored strategies for reducing the building's energy use. This new facility achieves a remarkable 52 percent reduction in energy use compared to baseline, providing operational cost savings in excess of $20 000 annually. A comprehensive measurement and verification plan validates these operational energy savings and enables the City to monitor and continually optimise the building's energy performance. In addition to energy conservation, the design employs diverse sustainable design features that achieved LEED Platinum certification, including:
DLR Group provided architecture services for this project. Sources: Chicago Fire Department and Arch Daily |
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