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Fire stations of the world: Coastside Fire Station No 41, El Granada, California, US
Coastside Fire Station No. 41 includes three drive-through apparatus bays, sleeping quarters for seven, a 30-person training room and a fitness room. Replacing the original 50-year-old facility that was located a block away, Coastside Fire Station No 41 is the newest fire station in the region. It’s equipped with modern amenities that will meet the growing needs of 21st Century fire fighting. Designed with the future in mind, this station will be able to accommodate additional fire fighters as the demand for increased fire protection grows in the area that it serves.
A key factor in deciding the new location was the proximity to the highway and minimalisation of traffic disruptions to reduce response times, which would allow fire fighters to tend to their calls quickly. However, the new facility’s steeply sloping site posed design challenges that resulted in creative space planning to provide all of the desired amenities. Nestled into a neighbourhood, 16-foot-high retaining walls were incorporated elegantly to maximize the size of the lot while also protecting the citizens from fire station activity. Additional space on the site also meant additional storage for equipment that’s necessary to protect the surrounding community. The station includes three drive-through apparatus bays, sleeping quarters for seven personnel, a 30-person training room, a kitchen, a dining room, offices, a fitness room, turnout storage and a shop area. Site improvements for the new station include secured personnel parking, an emergency generator, a public parking area and a refuelling station. In addition to providing more space and amenities to serve the growing needs of the fire protection district, personnel and community safety was paramount throughout the design process. Personnel now have division of clean and dirty zones within the station, which keeps harmful carcinogens at a safe distance from the areas where they work and live. The station floor plan was designed to reduce response times by centralising the apparatus bay entrance, which made it easily accessible from anywhere in the single-story station. The Coastside Fire Protection District provides the fire protection services for the City of Half Moon Bay and the communities of Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada and Miramar in addition to the surrounding unincorporated areas with a total District size of 50 square miles and serves a population of 30,000 residents. The District operates three fire stations to provide the emergency services: Fire Station 40 is located within the downtown area of the City of Half Moon Bay, Fire Station 41 is located within the unincorporated area of El Granada and Fire Station 44 is located within the Moss Beach Area of the District. The District has twelve volunteer firefighter positions along with twenty paid positions that includes: 1 Fire Chief 1 Deputy Chief 1 Division Chief 4 Battalion Chiefs 3 Deputy Fire Marshals 3 Administrative support positions All stations are staffed with one fire captain and two fire apparatus engineers; one of which is a paramedic to provide advance life support service. Shift personnel work a scheduled three day/72-hour work week. In addition to traditional fire service, the District provides advance life support, cliff rescue, confined space rescue, ambulance transport services, vehicle and residential lock-out. The Coastside Fire Protection District responds to approximately 2 300 calls for service each year. Sources: Coastside Fire Protection District, Jeff Katz Architecture |
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