In Quarters: Wylie, TX, Fire Station No. 4

This facility received the Shared Facilities Silver Award in the 2023 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.

The city of Wylie spans east-west across the southern portion of the Collin County watershed between Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Hubbard. In 2009, city and fire officials conducted master planning for the public safety service expansion. They purchased the site for Wylie Fire Station No. 4 in 2011. They understood that significant population increases on the west side of town would pose serious challenges to first responders to cross or find time-pressing alternative routes around flood-prone areas.

In 10 years, Wylie’s population grew 30 percent, which led the city to unveil Station No. 4, which is a 15,000-sq.-ft shared facility that houses a full fire station that has three pull-thru apparatus bays, the city’s backup 9-1-1 dispatch center, an ICC 500 storm shelter and a police substation. Three command stations and a supervisory station stand ready for immediate operation in the event that the city’s 9-1-1 headquarters suddenly are unusable. Space for extensive specialty training elements includes sewer access, confined-space and underground rescue, balcony and repelling hooks for varied wall openings, a practice standpipe and a remote fire department connection to further strengthen the crew’s rescue capabilities.

Station No. 4’s administration and living quarters, which are set in a C-configuration around a private courtyard, offer easy indoor/outdoor access for staff and direct arteries to active bays. Private dormitories comfortably sleep a crew of eight along the backside of the campus. Opposite the courtyard, the dayroom, a kitchen and a modern fitness area extend outside to a covered patio that has a grill.

Nestled within the community, the recycled antique brick, in rich reds and browns, contrasts with the white Texas limestone columns, which speaks to the steadfastness of firefighters. A 9/11 memorial sculpture stands in remembrance of the 343 firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.

Architect/Firm Name: BRW Architects