Triad Associates was hired to design a fire station for the City of Ligonier. Completed just last month, the Ligonier Fire Station has been nominated to be considered for the 2022 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Encompassing 23,969 square feet, here is the story behind the project and other station features:
Chief Jeremy Weaver and Assistant Gerald Sprague did their homework in planning the new station by visiting other facilities in the region. They knew what they wanted and had floor plans sketched even before initial meetings with the consultants. Final plans were detailed during COVID shutdown of all non-essential business in Indiana. The construction pre-bid meeting was done on-line with fifty-three attendees via Zoom!
The station was constructed on an old industrial property that had left old foundations, debris and spoil material. Two hundred and thirty-four rammed aggregate Geopiers were installed to support the foundations and slabs.
The station includes a Safe Haven Baby Box, allowed under Indiana’s Safe Haven Law that legally permits a mother in crisis to safely surrender their newborn. It has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside and an interior door which allows staff to secure the newborn from inside the building.
An 11,467 square foot garage consists of six bays with front folding doors, back-in assist lighting, and ten vehicle exhaust drops. The garage also has a training tower that doubles as hose drying with an electric hoist and rigging up the center of the stairwell. The station also provides confined space and skills training.
A fully equipped Radio/Command room is strategically adjacent to the apparatus bays. Furnished offices and meeting rooms compliment the first floor along with a kitchen, dining area and day room. A 39-unit locker gear room, SCBA room, decontamination room and laundry are part of the first floor.
The second floor consists of a day room, five bedrooms, full bathrooms and a 1,140 square foot meeting/training room with audio and visual equipment. A 640 square foot fitness area is part of the second floor accessible through a raised mezzanine that includes a circular slide!
