Fire Station Design Symposium provides all you need to know, from strategic planning to furnishings
By Robert Tutterow

The design and construction of a fire station are a major undertaking and investment for any community. Mistakes can be very costly and often carry an impact for decades. Did you know that the maintenance and operating of a fire station cost far more than the initial construction? Did you know there are many things you can do with design and materials to minimize the long-term costs? There are definitely better ways to spend taxpayer or fundraising money than on upkeep.

Fortunately, the fire service has a venue to help departments through the process. F.I.E.R.O. (Fire Industry Equipment Research Organization,) in partnership with the IAFC and co-sponsor FireRescue Magazine, is offering an inexpensive 1 ½-day symposium on fire stations. The eighth annual event will be November 1–2 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department Training Academy. The symposium starts on Sunday afternoon with exhibits, station tours and a reception. The Charlotte Fire Department will provide shuttle service from the host hotel to the Training Academy. Registration is only $79 and includes Monday lunch, morning and afternoon breaks, and an informational CD.

Program topics include:
• Avoiding Mistakes
• Ideas That Work
• Getting Started
• USDA Grants
• Maintaining Control of the Construction Process
• Building Green
• Cost-Effective Station Furnishings
• Creating Value
• Keeping Costs to a Minimum for a Maintenance-Free, Durable Station

In addition, the Annual Station Design Awards Program winners will be announced. These awards showcase innovative stations being built across the country. Attendees not only get to see photos and drawings of the stations, but they learn what makes a winning station and have an opportunity to connect with award-winning architects.

The cost of attending this symposium is a “drop in the ocean” compared to the costs of constructing and maintaining a fire station. Full details, including schedule, speaker bios and online registration, can be found at www.fierofirestation.com.

Robert Tutterow, who has 30 years in the fire service, is the Charlotte, N.C., Fire Department health and safety officer. He is a member of the NFPA Fire Department Apparatus Committee and is on two other NFPA committees, the Structural and Proximity Firefighting Protective Ensemble Technical Committee and the Technical Correlating Committee for Fire and Emergency Services PPE.

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