Clark County Fire Station No.61
Date: Mar 23, 2022
Author: Chris Lujan, Design Principal, TSK Henderson
The daily demands placed upon first responders and firefighters require the facilities which serve them to be robust and adaptable. Fire Stations are designed to meet the needs of the staff, agency, and the community that it serves. The Clark County Fire Station No. 61 is a replacement to the existing Station No. 16 which was built in 1979 and was no longer able to serve the operational needs of the Clark County Fire Department. Since 1979, the surrounding community has grown into a diverse and vibrant district anchoring the east side of Las Vegas. The otherwise modest facility was replaced by a structure which evokes pride and identity along a busy thoroughfare at the center of this community.
Following a series of site investigations and departmental evaluations of other recent fire stations, this new facility seeks to enhance the daily live-work staff experience. The design team was considerate of budget limitations and sought to use materials which were reflective of elements commonly associated with firefighting and celebrates the department’s primary identifying color: YELLOW.
Furthermore, issues related to staff safety, health and wellness, and comfort helped to inform design decisions including the internal programmatic organization around 4-key activity zones: public interaction, preparation, protection, and privacy.
The project includes three apparatus bays and the shared living areas--which include a central kitchen and dining area, captain’s living-quarters, exercise and fitness room, day room and 12 private sleeping quarters--are planned around a central outdoor living space. Consideration of the separation between the apparatus bay and living areas was critical in an effort to limit the fire fighters’ exposure to chemical contaminants and noise. The layered mix of private and common areas throughout the building ensure opportunities for individual staff members to seek privacy when needed and re-engage the team without creating zones of isolation.