Alexandria's headquarters fire station, No. 204, has been awarded a gold medal by Fire Chief Magazine as part of its National Station Style and Design Awards. It took first place in the Renovated Design category.
Joining in the honors were the Hughes Group Architects, designers of the station renovation. They were recognized at a National Symposium on Fire Station Design, Construction and Maintenance in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 7, according to Jane Malik, public information officer for the Alexandria Fire Department.
Battalion chief Christopher Leischner and Jeremy McPike, project coordinator, Alexandria General Services Department, accepted the award at the symposium on behalf of the fire department and the city, Malik noted.
"We are very pleased that this recognition has come to the city and the department. A lot of planning and work went into making this station not only attractive but state-of-the-art in carrying out our mission," said Alexandria fire chief Thomas M. Hawkins.
THE RENOVATION of the nearly-40-year-old building now housing the department's administrative headquarters and 911 emergency call system was completed in approximately 18 months. It involved updating the building's infrastructure and adding floor space.
By incorporating the original structure, the $3.1 million renovations at 900 Second St. came in on budget, Hawkins verified at the opening of the new building on April 3, 2001. "The original bids came in over budget, but we made the necessary adjustments and brought it in right on budget," he said at its inauguration.
In addition to the original structure, the new edifice added 8,000 square feet, bringing the new building to a total of 20,000 square feet. There is also 25,000 square feet of parking, adding nine spaces to the previous 34.
The new facility, housing both firefighters and administrative personnel, is home to one ladder truck, one engine pumper, a rescue boat, and the vehicles of a battalion chief and aide. Before the opening of the new building, fire administration was housed at the Nannie J. Lee Center.
ANOTHER PLUS for the new building is improved living conditions for firefighters assigned to that location. There are nine rooms, each containing two beds, individual lockers, a desk and an easy chair. There are also separate restrooms and bath facilities for male and female employees.
The second level houses the entire administrative operations for the department's eight citywide stations and the communications center. Included in this category are the fire chief, deputy chief, battalion chief, EMS supervisor, public information officer and personnel administration.
The renovation was undertaken with the goal of maintaining a presence in a residential neighborhood that would complement but not overwhelm the scale and proportions of the area, according to Malik. The award will be featured in the October issue of the Fire Chief magazine, a publication of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.