In Quarters: North Ridgeville, OH, Fire Station #2

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

The North Ridgeville Fire Station #2 is located within a residential neighborhood and serves the south side of the city. The existing 5,440-sq.-ft., 1970s-era satellite station was in poor condition and in need of renovation to meet current fire industry standards. The goals of the project were to improve firefighter health and safety, increase building envelope/energy efficiency, and remove apparatus support functions and physical fitness space from within the apparatus bays. Also high on the list of priorities: replacement of the antiquated mechanical system, including the underfloor, asbestos lined, duct distribution system, and repair of the leaking roof over the living quarters. All of these items needed to be completed within the limited project budget.

The solution included two separate additions to the existing station (to the east and south) to provide new apparatus bay support spaces and a physical fitness space. This allowed existing space in the station to be reassigned to its original intended use or to be transformed to meet modern station requirements. The first phase included adding a gear laundry room, a turnout gear room, a decontamination alcove, a toilet and shower, and a tools/storage area to the east of the bays, and a physical fitness room to the south of the existing dormitory, which allowed the apparatus bays to be reclaimed as true drive-thru bays. Once this phase was completed, these spaces were used for temporary living and working spaces while the station living spaces were renovated. This was all accomplished while maintaining 24/7/365 fire and EMS operations from the station.

The second-phase improvements included, but were not limited to, complete interior renovations of the existing living and workspaces in the station. A new high-efficiency rooftop HVAC unit was installed. Utilizing an enclosed portion of the roof overhang, ductwork was routed to distribute heating and cooling to the various interior spaces of the station.

Architect/Firm Name: Mull & Weithman Architects