The Firehouse Yak: Janet Wilmoth & Rob Manns – Getting the Most Out of the Station Design Conference
Station Design Conference Director Janet Wilmoth and Principal Architect Rob Manns discuss the impact of the Station Design Conference on recent fire station construction projects, and how attendees can maximize what they get out of attending the annual conference focused on fire station designs and construction for new and renovated stations.
Wilmoth planned the 11th annual conference, taking place in Glendale, AZ, May 20-22, with a focus on building stations designed to last 50 years in the fast-moving environment of building design, construction materials and technology and new materials. The two explain how the conference is designed for education and time with service providers and why attendees should plans their schedule carefully.
Manns, a principal architect with Manns Woodward Studios, explains how attendees can maximize their conversations with speakers, architects, builder and component representatives and peers through networking and coming equipped with questions.
For departments who are seeking advice on current or future plans, Wilmoth explains the 1-on-One Sessions pair agencies with architects to look at blue prints for advice on design and layout concepts to ensure the station meets their needs.
As the show wraps up, they discuss some of the trends they’ve seen in volunteer fire stations, from the need for sleeping spaces to stations built to transition from volunteer to combination and how understand the future of the organization can save them money in the long run.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
Janet A. Wilmoth | Special Projects Director
Janet Wilmoth grew up in a family of firefighters in a suburb of Chicago. Wilmoth, who is owner of Wilmoth Associates, worked with Fire Chief magazine for 27 years until it closed in 2013. She currently is the project director for Firehouse, overseeing the Station Design Conference.
Robert Manns | Principal Architect
Robert Manns is a principal architect with Manns Woodward Studios. He has more than 20 years of experience in the design of public safety facilities and has been recognized more than a dozen times for fire station design excellence.
