In Quarters: Cobb County Fire Station 7 in Austell, GA

This facility received a Career 1 Notable award in the 2023 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.

Cobb County Fire Station 7 is the latest addition to the county’s 29 stations. The building incorporates the highest standards for crew safety, recuperation, training and response. Emphasizing longevity and minimal maintenance, this 18,000-sq.-ft. facility consists of concrete block masonry throughout the structure, including each of the 15 individual crew member sleeping quarters. Utilizing block walls provides a quiet and easily controlled environment for improved sleep quality. Four pull thru apparatus bays that have high-speed folding doors are accessed by two stair towers at the front and rear of the building. A slide from the second story was installed in the middle of the station with direct access to the apparatus bay. The slide and the stair towers minimize step count, which results in the most efficient turnout time.

Crew safety was integrated into the design via a decontamination zone for gear to remain separated from the living quarters. The station includes a complete weight room that has doors that lead outside to incorporate outdoor training that supports the cultural commitment of fitness for the members of Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services.

Station 7 was designed with various fire training props built into it. The four-story tower at the rear of the station includes a standpipe prop within the stairwell, with a rope rescue training area on the third- and fourth-level roof areas. Incorporating multiple anchoring points provides the crew with varied training evolution opportunities.

Prior to breaking ground, the Spratlin & Son Construction team leveraged extensive experience building fire stations and worked closely with Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services leadership and the Cobb County Project Manager to improve on an incredible design by CROFT & Associates. Throughout construction, the CROFT and Spratlin teams worked closely to ensure that the station is highly durable, efficient and extremely functional for the firefighters.

Architect/Firm Name: CROFT & Associates, Spratlin & Son Construction