PRESS RELEASE - Salida Fire Station Project Concept, Schematic Designs Presented to City Council
Project to Deliver Fire Station Designed for Longevity with Enhanced Safety, Training and Sustainability Features
During the Salida City Council's Nov. 14 work session, The Neenan Company presented its proposed project concept and schematic designs for the Salida Fire Station. The new facility is planned for 611 Oak St. and will house the Salida Fire Department and the South Arkansas Fire Protection District. The project will replace the current 124-year-old station with a new fire station, improving functionality, training, and safety for firefighters. The project’s design also proposes sustainability features and flexibility for future needs.
Neenan, the Colorado-based design-build partner for the project, engaged in regular design meetings with the fire department and municipal stakeholders to develop a project concept embracing the community’s needs. With a projected budget of $15 million, the approximately 20,345-square-foot fire station will accommodate fire engines, administrative space including offices and meeting rooms, training space, and living quarters composed of bunk rooms, showers, laundry, fitness, kitchen, and day room.
The project will provide enhanced onsite training opportunities and include a three-story training and hose-drying tower, allowing firefighters to conduct outdoor trainings and simulate current and future rescue situations. These bolstered training capabilities also benefit residents as it helps the department improve its Public Protection Class rating which could lead to reduced property insurance rates.
“Our current fire station has served the community well for nearly 125 years. With the growth of our downtown and limitations in our current space, now is the time to deliver a station with greater functionality, safety, and training features. We’re making this move in the interest of best serving our community,” said Doug Bess, Salida fire chief. “Given the ongoing wildfire threat, community growth and increase in recreational amenities, we must take a proactive approach to community health. Our community’s needs are far more widespread than you’d see with an urban fire department – we rely on our firefighting teams to be skilled in swift water rescue and wildland firefighting as well. In a city like ours, supporting a fire department with diversified training is more critical than ever.”
Improving safety for firefighters has also played a key role in the design process. The modern facility will feature decontamination space, which protects firefighters from toxic particulates and lowers cancer risk using hot/transition/cold zones. The project plans include a vehicle exhaust system in the apparatus bay that will house all current fire station equipment, training facilities for rescue exercises, upgraded fitness and sleep/recovery spaces.
“First responders are the backbone of any community. An investment in the long-term health of our firefighters is an investment in the well-being of our entire community,” said Salida Mayor Dan Shore. “This is an opportunity to bring the valley together with greater training capabilities. One day, we even hope to have a regional live fire training site and are allotting space in the project plans so we can pursue this in the future. We’re eager to invest in this neighborhood while elevating the fire safety efforts of the entire region.”
To align with the City of Salida’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, the project includes sustainable features that offset operational costs and create a healthier environment for firefighters. The project plans include a geothermal system, natural daylighting, and solar-panel-ready infrastructure to reduce the need for electricity and natural gas for heating and cooling.
The project team has also focused on designing a facility that provides durability while minimizing maintenance and concentrates on longevity and flexibility for future uses. Not only will all products and finishes be selected for durability, but the space itself is designed to accommodate additional growth in the firefighter and reserve program, additional fire engines and future equipment needs. The training room will also be in the front of the building to allow for separate community access, to accommodate events or community use.
“We engaged in twice-weekly work sessions with the firefighting crews and city staff, in addition to meeting with department leaders and City Council members to best understand their individual needs with the project. We see this as much more than a new fire station, but an opportunity to impact the full community,” said Donna Smith, vice president with The Neenan Company. “Through our collaborative design process, our team of engineers, designers, pre-construction managers and other experts spoke extensively with stakeholders to ensure the new fire station not only improves the fire department’s current operations and safety needs but will continue adapting to evolving needs in the decades to come.”
As the project advances, it will continue through two more design phases. The project team will also perform value engineering to keep costs as low as possible throughout the project’s timeline. The fire station is currently planned to break ground in spring/summer 2023, with anticipated completion in spring/summer 2024.
About The City of Salida:
The City of Salida, CO, is the statutory seat of Chaffee County with a population of approximately 5,700 residents. Salida is a family-friendly community ideally situated in central Colorado - known by many as the “Heart of the Rockies,” both for its geographic location and the abundance of arts, cultural and recreational amenities found here. The city is dedicated to maintaining a safe, fiscally responsible, and forward-thinking government where residents, businesses and visitors can thrive. Explore more about Salida at www.cityofsalida.com.
About The Neenan Company:
The Neenan Company strengthens and builds communities across the country with an integrated and entrepreneurial approach to design, construction, and development projects. The Colorado-based firm, founded in 1966, is a pioneer of the design-build model specializing in creating commercial, education, healthcare and community facilities that generate economic vitality and inspire people to be well, to learn and to lead. More information is available at www.neenan.com.
Contact Information:
City of Salida, Colorado
Drew Nelson, City Administrator
719.539.4555
drew.nelson@cityofsalida.com
Marissa Hoffman
dovetail solutions for The Neenan Company
303.506.2497
mhoffman@dovetailsolutions.com
