Over many years, we have witnessed bad things happening to firefighters and EMS while responding to calls. Fire apparatus and ambulances have been stolen, looted, and damaged during service. Fire stations have endured damage also, but this year both first responders and fire stations have been under attack.
Firefighters have been attacked and injured in Columbia, SC and Rochester, NY. Fireworks were tossed at firefighters in Grand Rapids, MI and Austin, TX. Minneapolis and Kenosha, WI, fire departments suffered extensively from civil unrest.
Apparatus was damaged in Cleveland, Atlanta, Mattydale, NY. Most recently, a Chicago Fire station was the target of a shooting.
We spoke with Jason M. Estes, AIA, Vice President, FGM Architects, Oak Brook, IL, about how fire departments have stepped up the protection of their firefighters and as it relates to fire stations.
Estes wasn’t sure fire service clients were doing too much more than preventative steps. “I have some clients that are considered in risk areas boarding up their windows and entries, trying to limit any collateral damage for glass repair and replacement,” he said. “Most are being very careful to ensure that doors are closed and secure. This even extends to response calls, realizing a few extra seconds on the apron to physically see the overhead doors are closed and secure.”
He added most of their clients in the Midwest don’t have secure lots/parking like the stations in the West seem to have. “Meaning, that their personal vehicles could be subject to potential damage,” Estes said. “I know that many are emptying their cars more, leaving very little in them or trying to park vehicles inside, if possible.” He has also heard a couple of firefighters that drive an older vehicle if they own one, just in case anything was to happen, it isn’t to their new personal vehicle. “Some have gone to carpooling or parking at the municipal center (or police) in secure parking and getting a ride to the station.” Estes added.
Based on conversations with FGM’s clients, Estes shared that due to COVID, many departments are keeping their people isolated in silos to help minimize staffing if anyone were to acquire the virus. Many departments are already at high staffing levels, especially if they do have cases of COVID occur. “I have heard some additional staffing occurring in some departments during anticipated events (scheduled marches, protests, etc.),” said Estes.
“Obviously, these events have the possibility of additional need for EMS/fire services between the event and potential counter forces. Increased numbers seem to also give support to one another during those times (mentally and physically). I would think that a fairly fully occupied fire station would seem less of a target than something else, but that’s a personal opinion.”
A new report of Cleveland Fire Department’s Ladder 23 being out of service due to a smashed windshield caused by rioters throwing projectiles at the apparatus while responding to a fire, prompted Donald Cook, (Ret.), Bureau Chief, Lisle-Woodridge, IL, Fire Department, to share a safety suggestion he remembered from one of the Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) meetings.
“A Florida EVT described that during hurricane season, firefighters would pull the apparatus in forward, versus backing in,” said Cook. “If the storm blew in the bay door, the back of the truck would take it, rather than the front of the rig. If a windshield breaks, it’s out of service,” said Cook, and a suggestion that could work in attacks on fire stations also.
During the recent Station Design Awards judging, Fire Chief Richard Mikel, Elk Grove Village, IL, shared how the rear doors of his new station have “chain mail” doors behind the glass bay doors. While initially installed for air circulation, the chain doors also limit access to the bays when the doors are up and can serve additional protection if necessary.
Presenters at the 2019 Station Design Conference, offered suggestions for increased security, including secure parking for personnel’s vehicles, increased exterior surveillance cameras and bulletproof glass. Kevin Landgraff, director of sales, Door Engineering, shared that metro cities have reinforced their four-fold doors with Kevlar™ and other applications to be bulletproof.
Jason Estes believes many urban fire departments are lucky they haven’t tried to utilize any fire apparatus for crowd control and management like they have used Public Works vehicles. “Honestly, most PW vehicles are built a little heavier to take some abuse,” he said.
“I think that we have been lucky in that most of our clients haven’t had any issues firsthand. The fire service is generally still seen as an organization that helps people, across all lines.”
Times are certainly changing. Safety and security of fire and EMS is a priority inside and outside of the fire stations.
