Emergency Services
Structural engineering for fire and ambulance stations: appliance bays, workshops, training facilities, hose and drill towers.
Fire stations, ambulance stations, emergency service centres. A building type with a clear functional brief.
What we take on
- Appliance bays with long spans and wide door openings
- Workshops, hose care and stores
- Hose and drill towers, training facilities
- Accommodation and administration areas, refurbishment and extension
What governs the construction
The vehicles. Axle loads of modern appliances govern the slab and the apron; door widths and clear heights govern the structure of the bay. Design to standard dimensions here and you build a bay the next appliance will not fit – we work from the brigade’s own vehicle data, with reserve.
Turnout time
The organisation of the building follows the turnout time: short routes, no pinch points, separable clean and dirty zones. That produces layout constraints the structure has to accommodate – few internal columns, clear transfer over the bay.
During operation
A station cannot close. For extension and refurbishment we plan phases in which operational readiness is maintained.