Station Design Conference Preview: The Pandemic, Civil Unrest, RFQs & More

The Firehouse 2021 Station Design Conference (August 24–26, 2021, at the Hilton at the Ballpark, St. Louis) will include 48 presentations, covering topics that range from the initial steps of planning a facility, to building or renovating a facility, to health and safety occupancy. Several new sessions were added based on what occurred over the past year: the pandemic’s effect on the health of personnel and security issues that arose from civil unrest in communities.

The opening general session provides an overview of the process for design and construction of a fire and emergency response facility. It begins with Kenneth Newell, who as principal at Stewart Cooper Newell Architects has won multiple awards for fire station designs. He will speak to the daunting task that is designing a public safety station but will explain how attention to foundational components of the process can remove the intimidation that many feel.

Later, the effect of an increase in natural disasters in the next decade on fire, police and public safety facilities will be the focus of Architects Design Group’s Susan Gantt’s program, “Designing Fire/Police & Public Safety Facilities for a Changing Climate and Sea Level Rise.” Gantt’s discussion will cover increased flooding, high winds, earthquakes and tornadoes.

By popular demand

An explanation of how to draft a request for quotation (RFQ) and a request for proposal (RFP) was an appeal that was made by numerous attendees of the previous Conference. This year, “How to Craft RFQs & RFPs to Get the Responses to Make the Best Design Team for Your Project” will be presented by Roy Conard of the Philadelphia Department of Public Property and Dave Kearney, who is a captain with the Philadelphia Fire Department and is a member of the department’s Technical Services Unit.

“Well-crafted RFQs and RFPs communicate the priorities of your agency and the information you are seeking,” Conard says. “In turn, you will receive responses that answer your questions and provide the information you need to make an informed selection of the designer.”

Whether you attended a previous Station Design Conference or this will be your first, the presentation, “The Dark Arts: Value Engineering,” by award-winning architect Dennis Ross is sure to educate, given its basis in creating value for a project, whether in regard to fire, police or public safety facilities and sites.

Ross, who supervises the emergency services market at H2M architects + engineers, will cover cost-effective means for planning, feasibility, programming, design and construction. This includes how to dispel incorrect perceptions from owners, architects and contractors. Examination of case studies and why they worked will be included in the presentation. Ross will explain how to use value engineering to avoid hidden pitfalls and to discover the facts and “the magic” that make every project, its process and its outcome completely different, yet with similar elements.

More case histories

Details from real projects—what was learned, what mistakes (sometimes very costly) were made—are invaluable. Case studies that will be examined in St. Louis include: West Bloomfield, MI, Fire Department’s new third station; private funding of a training facility in Dothan, AL; the use of prototypes in Springdale, AR; and a police station in Kent, OH.

One of the most well-received segments of the Conference, the 1-on-One program, convenes on August 23, the day before the Conference opens, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The program provides an opportunity for attendees to meet individually with an architect who specializes in emergency response facilities, for a review of a fire station design project, no matter its status. This “second opinion” has led to time and money savings via the suggestion of options. The bottom line is to help to ensure that you are on track to build the right building for your department and community.

Remember, the 1-on-One program, which is limited to fire department personnel, isn’t a sales push: The program provides a third-party review to give you honest input. Also, you must pre-register for the 1-on-One program, at a minimal cost to reserve your place. Confirmation will include the assigned time for your meeting as well as instructions on what to bring for the meeting. A similar program, In Depth LE, which is for law enforcement, also requires pre-registration. Before and after your meeting, focused mini seminars will be offered.

Information & connections

The best reason to attend the Conference was summed up by a previous attendee: “I was overwhelmed by the flow of information. I believe it’s essential if you are planning to build or renovate a new station. You can’t beat the information or networking connections. I was very impressed!” For more information and to register for the Conference and/or the 1-on-One program, go to fhstationdesign.com.