• Telemon Construction (general contractor)
• Suburban Process Piping (HVAC/plumbing)
• South Shore Electric (electrical)
• Fire Protection Inc (fire protection)

The project includes construction of a new multi-story addition on the south side, a one-story addition on the north side, and complete renovation of the existing building to blend all areas together. Green building alternates included in the project: landscaping, pervious concrete paving, modular green roof, snow melt system, and photovoltaic (solar) electrical generator system. Following a pre-construction meeting on May 21, construction was authorized to begin on May 26, 2009. Highlights of construction progress will be regularly listed in our photo gallery on this site.

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER IMAGE.

May 25, 2009 The project begins...	April 7, 2010 Solar panel installation	April 7, 2010 South building	April 7, 2010 Completed outbuilding & generator
Feb 5, 2010 South addition, 98% exterior completed	Feb 5, 2010 South addition, west side	Dec 17, 2009 South addition - full height with roof trusses	Dec 17, 2009 North addition
Nov 25, 2009 South addition nearing full height	Dec 2, 2009 South addition - 2nd floor	Nov 25, 2009 South addition - 2nd floor	Nov 11, 2009 South addition
Oct 21, 2009 South addition	Oct 7, 2009 South addition & new apparatus bay	Sept 30, 2009 South addition	Sept 16, 2009 South addition
Sept 9, 2009 South addition - installing concrete flooring	August 26, 2009 South addition	August 19, 2009 South building addition	August 5, 2009 Basement wall installation
July 15, 2009 Foundation for south building addition	June 12, 2009 Site preparation	Dec 2, 2009 North addition - parking lot preparation	Nov 25, 2009 North addition & outbuilding
Nov 11, 2009 North addition and outbuilding	Oct 21, 2009 North addition and outbuilding	Sept 30, 2009 North addition framing	August 19, 2009 North addition foundation
August 26, 2009 North addition	Oct 21, 2009 West parking lot	Nov 6, 2009 Community/training room - basement	Nov 6, 2009 South addition - first floor
Nov 25, 2009 South addition - adding 2nd floor	Nov 25, 2009 South addition - now two floors	Sept 16, 2009 New communications tower

 

Building construction plans remain true to both the operational needs assessment and concept design of the project. An overview of the construction plans were presented to City Council on January 20. As the project continues, completion of construction is expected by October 2010.  

Here is a collection of information pertaining to the Fire Station Renovation/Expansion project, including the history of the current fire station, an overview of needs, and the proposed concept plan and construction documents to meet those needs. At this time, the project is progressing through Phase II. We invite you to study and review this project, as it directly affects the provision of emergency services to you, our residents. If you have questions, please contact Chief Kirin at (440) 774-3211.

Current Fire Station

R.P. Hughes Architects Inc.

Results of the Building Needs Assessment

Concept Design Plans

Going "Green"

Project Financing
 

In a proactive move, a Request for Proposal for Architectural Services was issued in October 2006. The primary purpose of this RFP was to identify experienced firms in fire station design and to solicit preliminary cost information for budgetary purposes. The proposed program was initially divided into four components: analysis and schematic design, design development, construction documents, and bid, award and construction.

Under contract, the preparation of construction documents and specifications will be performed by R.P. Hughes Architects, Inc. of Columbus, OH, a firm founded in 1997 specializing in the design of fire stations in the State of Ohio.  The two principal architects of the firm have over 55 years of total experience in design and construction. Some of their projects include: Carlisle Township, Painesville Township, Mifflin Township, Upper Arlington, and Liberty Township fire station, and they have recently been employed by the City of Oberlin to perform a master facilities study.

A fire station building committee was formed to work with the project architects. Members of the committee include: Fire Chief Dennis Kirin, Lt Robert Schubert, Lt Michael Streator, Lt Ben Ryba, Jeff Baumann (PW Director), and Eric Norenberg, City Manager.

Phase I of the project (Analysis and Schematic Design) includes:

• Evaluate the characteristics of the building site and analyze the existing building for operating deficiencies according to the building code and fire service regulatory standards.
• Formulate a building program, determining program spaces, areas, equipment and mechanical systems.
• Present review and analysis of the findings to Administration and Council; formulate a project budget.
• Prepare a schematic (concept) design for the proposed facility and associated work requirements within the proposed budget. The design would coordinate exact location and building plan layouts with conceptual drawings and develop a preliminary cost estimate.

Phase II of the project (Design Development and Construction Documents) includes:

• Develop the schematic design drawings into construction documents for both the expansion and renovation of the existing building areas. Incorporate a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) design concepts in the project to achieve a certification as a green building.
• Prepare all development documents including structural, plumbing, fire protection, HVAC, electrical, and civil engineering services including necessary calculations for application to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for review and confirmation of the building certification designation.
• Prepare written specifications for each product to be bid in the building and on site.
• Review documents with city administration and obtain approvals from city commissions.

Phase III of the project (Bid Process and Approvals) would include:

• Distribute bid documents and specifications.
• Obtain a building permit.
• Recommend contractors to city council for approval.
• Conduct pre-construction meeting

Phase IV of the project (Project Construction) would include:

• Construction of the south side expansion would be approximately 9-10 months.
• Renovation of existing building and north side expansion would be approximately 3-4 months.

 Results of the Building Needs Assessment

What is a Building Needs Assessment? Simply, it is a comparison of the operations conducted by the Fire Department (see Fire Operations) and the ability of facilities/equipment to perform and support those operations. Computerization and advanced communications did not exist at the time of original construction. Nor did the expanded level and type of operations involving emergency medical services, hazardous materials’ mitigation, fire prevention/code enforcement, advanced training needs, and an increased number of personnel. In 1975, there were 157 emergency incidents, compared with 702 incidents in 2006.

After completion of the Phase 1 needs assessment and comparison to building, regulatory (OSHA), safety, and best-practice standards, the following operational areas were identified as in need of attention or nonconforming to federal/state standards:

• Lack of public entrance and vestibule. Your first visit to the fire station is a lasting impression as you park in the rear of the building (inadequate parking) and enter through a garage man-door. There is no formal entry for the building.
• Dispatch/communications room. This room is adequately sized, but requires minor rehabilitation in paint, ceiling, ventilation, and proper lighting.
• Lack of administrative/office areas. The building contains a single office with modular partitions used to divide the original entryway into a second work area. Individually designed work spaces are required for administration and operations personnel. Each room should be equipped with desk/computer work space suitable for their assigned job duties. The area requires a conference space for meetings, a plans review and drafting area for fire prevention, file and blueprint storage, copy/duplication equipment, and a small public waiting area.
• Lack of records storage/archive. Records are currently stored throughout the building in closets, corners, and mechanical rooms.
• Lack of training/conference room. The building has one multipurpose room - a room that is used for kitchen, dining, living, training and meeting purposes. Change in use between these functions requires the constant setup and tear down of equipment, and usually finds that special meetings or training classes interfere with on-duty firefighters. The provision of a separate room for training and public meetings continues to be a department priority. This area would also function as the city’s Emergency Operations Center. To meet these needs, the plan proposes a 1,750 sq ft multi-purpose room in a basement level capable of withstanding natural/man-made disasters while minimizing the building’s size on the site.
• Lack of public restroom facilities. The fire station does not have public use or ADA compliant restroom facilities. Visitors or attendees (male and female) must use the same facilities as operating personnel - a single half-bath configuration.
• Inadequate dormitory, locker, and washroom facilities. The single sleeping room has three beds (does not meet residential code for spacing), one restroom, and no locker storage for personal items. Lack of personal storage is problematic for a department with thirty employees. The restroom is a combination bathroom/shower/laundry area, that must be shared by male and female employees. The new plan would provide two separate unisex shower/toilet facilities for men and women, a separate laundry area, and minimum personal locker storage for each firefighter. Dormitory sleeping areas would be semi-private cubical areas.
• Lack of cleaning/decontamination/storage areas for equipment and personal protective clothing. Protective clothing worn on the job needs to be cleaned. OSHA standards prohibit cleaning of contaminated clothing at home or at a commercial laundromat. Further, OSHA section 1910.1030(d)(3)(iv) mandates that the employer clean, launder, and dispose of personal protective clothing as required in the standard, at no cost to the employee. Our operations do not meet these regulations.
  Presently, protective clothing is cleaned in a vehicle garage, in the same area that breathing apparatus is filled and tools are serviced. Per OSHA and NFPA standards, a dirty laundry room must be provided for protective clothing, a separate room for clothing storage, and another space for air refilling.
• Lack of equipment storage. There is no available storage in the building for medical supplies and miscellaneous equipment (hazmat supplies, training equipment, firefighter clothing, etc.) Therefore, present equipment is being stored in the mechanical room and apparatus bays. This is a violation of the fire code, but there is no alternative. Sufficient storage would be provided in the plan.
• Inadequate employee/visitor parking. The existing lot has space for eleven vehicles, but thirty employees are assigned to the department. With the recall of part-time personnel for emergencies and/or their attendance during training sessions, additional parking is mandatory. Additional open space immediately adjacent to the lot is available and should be developed into parking for all personnel, and dedicated visitor and ADA spaces.
• Inadequate fire apparatus bay parking. The station consists of three drive-through apparatus bays with 12 foot high doors. Acquisition of the aerial ladder in 1998 requires that we operate this 11' 6" high unit through a 11' 9" doorway - a disaster in equipment damage just waiting to happen. If the tower is ever damage due to impact, such damage generally may require replacement of the tower, if not the entire vehicle, at a cost of $200,000 - $900,000. The concept plan would add a fourth apparatus bay to the building, complete with a 14-foot high doorway.
• Lack of personal physical fitness area. Section 4123:1-21-07(E) of the Ohio Administrative Code requires that firefighters be provided a health, fitness and wellness program. While many alternatives exist for the provision of physical fitness, the simplest to set up and use is the provision of fitness equipment at the fire station. Immediate availability of equipment not only promotes use and fitness, but allows on-duty personnel to utilize equipment without degradation of response time.
• Lack of vehicle exhaust system. Diesel engines, used in fire apparatus, produce a mixture of toxic particulates and gases as the result of the combustion process. These toxic substances include: oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and polyaromatic nuclear aromatics (PNA). Both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have declared human exposure to diesel exhaust as a potential occupational carcinogenic (cancer-causing) hazard. The building must be equipped with exhaust systems to reduce this health threat to firefighters.

Completion of the building assessment resulted in the development of a concept plan that provides the necessary space for operations and achieves compliance with all regulatory, health and safety standards. This plan proposes a fire station renovation/expansion that will provide 15,515 square feet of usable space - almost twice the size of the present building.

How does the proposed building compare with the current fire station?

How does the Oberlin proposal compare to other fire station projects?

View the concept design plans:

Main (first floor level) - apparatus, equipment, support, offices, and firefighter residence.
Second floor level - offices, equipment, storage
Lower level - multi-purpose training, emergency operations, and community room.
Exterior - elevation views

A key goal of the fire station project was to increase energy efficiency of the building while reducing its overall environmental impact. Green building projects, while somewhat more expensive during construction, can substantially reduce or eliminate negative environmental impacts and reduce operating costs over the life of the building. It is planned that the larger facility will maximize re-use of building materials through maintenance of 75% of existing structure on the site, optimize energy performance by using less power in conjunction with intensification of natural lighting, promote water efficiency through reduction, recycling and re-use of wastewater, enhance indoor air quality through control of circulation, selection of interior finishes and control of diesel exhaust, and be prepared for the addition of new technology in the future (such as solar panels and other alternative energy sources).

An additional $75,000 contributed to the design budget by Oberlin College will be used to submit the construction documents for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) review and certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project architect estimates that the fire station project may qualify for a LEED-Silver certification. (Read Station LEED)

There are both environmental and financial benefits to earning LEED certification.

LEED-certified buildings:

• Lower operating costs and increased asset value.
• Reduce waste sent to landfills.
• Conserve energy and water.
• Healthier and safer for occupants.
• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
• Demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Oberlin City Council had placed a 1/5 of one percent earned income tax levy on the November 2008 election ballot. Our residents have approved that levy, of which it is proposed that a portion of this revenue be used, in conjunction with city reserves, to fund the construction portion of the fire station project. The architect's current estimate of construction costs is $3.48 million, subject to adjustments and changes in the construction concept, documents, specifications, and approvals.