This facility received the Career 2 Notable award in the 2024 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.
This 10,224-sq.-ft. Fire Station #6 design-build project was formulated on a premise to meet current and future needs of the Nampa Rural Fire Protection District while improving response times for the community that it serves.
The station features two drive-through apparatus bays, one back-in bay, a workroom, a dayroom, a kitchen, fitness space, six sleep rooms, a shop/air room, and specialized decontamination and bunker gear areas.
This station marks a new era for the department. The project focused a significant effort on addressing and improving firefighter health and safety in quarters. The team followed guidance from the Healthy-In-Healthy-Out initiative, looking for additional opportunities to improve crew safety. One result of value engineering is a dedicated training platform that’s within one of the apparatus bays. Understanding the importance of in quarters training, the design team incorporated this feature as it reduced overall square footage in the apparatus bays. The training platform was equipped for high- and low-angle rope rescue training as well as ladder and other multistory training.
Located in the growing Treasure Valley area, the project faced challenges, including extreme labor shortages and cost inflation because of the pandemic. Despite these hurdles, the team maintained transparent communication with the district, updating it on market conditions and offering innovative solutions to keep the project within budget. This approach led to flexible alternatives, which the district adopted by adjusting the Guaranteed Maximum Price set in 2022.
The project was delivered without any change orders, except for one owner-requested change regarding hand-wash faucet types. This successful execution demonstrates the team’s dedication to high-quality, functional and cost-effective designs under challenging circumstances. The collaboration exemplifies commitment to community-focused design and operational excellence, which ensures that Fire Station #6 will serve the district and community for years to come.
Architect/Firm Name: Rice Fergus Miller
