STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Ketchum Fire Station has been honored for outstanding architecture and design.
“Firehouse Magazine” awarded the fire station, which sits near the Wood River Community YMCA, a Silver Award in the category of Career 1 Fire Stations 15,000 square feet and larger.
The architects designing the station, which opened in October 2021, were Cole Architects of Boise and TCA Architecture + Planning of Seattle.
“ ‘Firehouse’ shared with us that this year had some of the toughest judges--especially the three new architects--but Ketchum was definitely their Silver choice.” said Sarah Frassa Thueson, marketing director of Cole Architects.
The Burnsville Fire Station No. 1 in Apple Valley, Minn., won the Gold Award and DeLand Fire Station 81 of DeLand, Fla., the Bronze.
“This is the ninth year of the awards, and we are excited to see the advances in fire station designs,” said Peter Matthews, “Firehouse” editor-in-chief. “It’s wonderful to see the coordination between fire departments and architectural firms to design stations with a focus on keeping firefighters trained and healthy to better serve their communities. As fire departments become true all-hazard response agencies, their training and equipment needs grow, and the new facilities offer improved opportunities for firefighters to hone their skills.”
Most of this year’s entries include the Hot Zone design concept within stations and increased natural lighting in the living areas and fitness rooms.
“The focus on firefighter health has significantly improved in the past seven years,” said Janet Wilmoth. special projects director to “Firehouse.” “Every entry this year is a winner for its improvement in health and safety for personnel and the service they provide their community.”
The prestigious Station Design Awards program for fire stations and emergency facilities featured a jury of seven judges that included fire chiefs and architects. All 61 participating entries are published in the November issue of “Firehouse Magazine” and online at Firehouse.com/Stations.
Ketchum’s 16,000-square foot station is three times bigger than its former facility which was part of the old City Hall. The new energy- and water-efficient firehouse houses eight apparatuses and offers six dorms for firefighters. Fourteen-foot-tall doors fold out in an instant when firefighters get a call, and the outside pavement is heated so firefighters don’t have to shovel snow.
There’s an expansive kitchen and living area on the second floor boasting three large refrigerators, four easy chairs situated around a flat-screen TV and a dog bed. A large table offers space for dining ad computer work.
A first-floor training room can hold 48 people at tables; a radio room sits next to small offices. There are also locker rooms, a laundry full of state-of-the-art washers and dryer to clean carcinogens from burning furniture off uniforms. A special hose cleaner allows firefighters to clean soot off fire hoses.