This station received a Career Notable award in Firehouse's 2016 Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.
In 2011, with no real administration area or training facility, the Elburn Fire Protection District realized it had outgrown its former headquarters station and began construction of a new facility. Headquarters and EMT operations previously ran out of two separate buildings. Addressing space needs was therefore critical to the design. The new station sought to consolidate operations into one facility while maintaining appropriately separate space to allow for continued administrative service, comprehensive training facilities, public access to the site for educational programs and resources, and comfort for residential firefighters.
One of the greatest challenges was designating an appropriate construction site. Four separate sites were proposed, all of which considered cost, response time and the future growth of the mostly undeveloped community. The final design resulted in the construction of a two-story (with basement), centrally located facility built over a two-acre site at the center of the 75-square-mile district. To further maximize available space, the residential quarters were placed on the second floor of the facility, complete with a connecting slide to the first floor to increase response time.
The station also includes a districtwide training classroom for all EMTs, firefighters and officers with current audio-visual technology that links the other stations together; a fire prevention room with educational material that’s available to the public, including a training library next to the lobby and fire explorer area; a training hose tower used for rappelling ladder access; a faux standpipe; a sprinkler system; and four training manholes for continued rescue drills.
The completed station boasts modern sustainable features, such as a lighting control system and energy-efficient wall and roof construction. Since its completion, the new station has become an iconic symbol of the fire district’s presence in the new commercial district of Elburn.
Architect: FGM Architects Inc.
