Chelmsford fire dept 2011 bos 2-27-12

Board of Selectmen

Update Report

Fire Department Headquarters

February 27, 2012

WHY WE ARE HERE |

Board of Selectmen Goals 2010 - 2011

Fire Department Headquarters Facility

Assist the Permanent Building Committee’s effort to develop a plan for a fire headquarters:

� Identify the location for a headquarters facility;

� Produce a financial plan to fund this project;

Chelmsford Fire Department Headquarters

Why does the Town need a new Fire Department Headquarters?


Fire Department Issues and Inadequacies |

• Structural deficiencies

• Building code deficiencies

• Inadequate medical cleaning / decontamination area

• No training facilities

• Technology is outdated

• Lack of Storage

• Poor living quarters

• Undersized apparatus bays

• Current lot size is too small for expansion


Fire Department Current Conditions |

Center Fire Headquarters was constructed in 1952 for a volunteer fire department serving a rural community of less than 10,000 people.

Overhead doors are too small requiring the Fire Department to order more expensive

special order apparatus in order to fit

Lack of ceiling height limits ability to access equipment for general inspection/repair functions



Technology systems are inadequateSupport spaces are undersized and inefficient



Building is in dire need of repairs/upgrades

Temporary supports displace usable locker area for Fire Fighters

Apparatus floor is failing requiring temporary structural supports in basement displacing

apparatus storage


Fire Department Headquarters Programming Requirements


Fire Department Headquarters Programming Results |

2009 2011

� Administration: 3,272 SF 1,875 SF

� Shared Operations Areas: 2,145 SF 1,937 SF

� Operations Administration: 3,942 SF 3,447 SF

� Operations / Apparatus: 14,001 SF 9,775 SF

� Support: 3,681 SF 2,455 SF

Total: 27,041 SF 19,489 SF

(28% SF Reduction)

� Reductions achieved by relocating some support functions to other available town spaces and by incorporating programming concessions identified by the Design Team, PBC, and the Fire Department


Fire Department Headquarters Possible Sites


Fire Department Headquarters Siting Requirements |

� Site size: +/- 2 acres

� Drive through capabilities to expedite response times

� Per the 2007 Fire Station Location Study, the new Headquarters should be “located in a location close to the current Headquarters”



7 North Road (existing site)

5 North Road

24/28 North Road

Crosby Ln / North Road

Chelmsford / Wilson Street

50 Billerica Road (rear)

50 Billerica Road (front)

Fire Department Headquarters Other Sites Considered |

� Drum Hill Site

� Stop & Shop Site


Fire Department Headquarters 50 Billerica Road (front)



Little League Field

Softball Fields

Existing Town Offices



Little League Field

Softball Fields

New Fire Department Headquarters

Renovated Town Office Space for Fire Department

New Town Office Parking


Billerica Road

Existing

Gym

Ground Level

• Accessible Entry (corridor & elevator)


New Construction: 484 SF


Lower Level

• Fire Department Administration

• Fire Prevention

• Shared Fire Department Training / Public Meeting Area

Billerica Road


New Construction: 755 SF

Renovation: 3,415 SF

Secured Access to Fire Department Headquarters


Existing Public EntryStreet Level

• Public / Operations Entry

• Apparatus Bays

• Operations Support Space

• Firefighter Support Space

Existing

Public

Entry

Billerica Road


New Construction: 11,385 SF


Upper Level

• Firefighter Support SpaceBillerica Road


New Construction: 3,383 SF

Mezzanine: 1,230 SF

New Fire Department Headquarters

Previous Proposal

• New Construction: 19,500 SF

New Proposal

• New Construction: +/- 16,007 SF

• Renovation of Existing Space: +/- 3,415 SF

Total: +/- 19,422 SF


Conceptual Rendering of Fire Department Headquarters


Conceptual Rendering of Fire Department Headquarters


• Right location for the Fire Department Headquarters in accordance with NFPA response times

• Renovation and re-use of the existing unused space in the Town Offices

• Shared Fire Department and Community space

• Site is Town owned – no site acquisition costs

• Relocation of the Wilson Street softball fields are not required

• Additional parking provided in back of the Town Offices

• Improvements to the Town owned property

• Construction costs are still low

Benefits of the New Proposal for the Fire Department Headquarters


• Validate costs

• Conduct Code Analysis to identify extent of renovations to existing building

• Exterior wall rating

• Connector rating

• ADA upgrades

• Fire suppression requirements

• Seismic requirements

Next steps


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Chelmsford fire dept 2011 bos 2-27-12