As part of the City of Germantown’s Smart Growth Plan, the 50-year old existing 4,000 SF firehouse was demolished due to inadequacies in living space, equipment housing, seismic compliance, inefficient mechanical and electrical systems, and increased storage needs.

To complement the neighborhood which includes a mix of residential, commercial, and retail the facility uses traditional architecture to blend into the surrounding facilities. The new station encompasses 14,500 SF in two stories and provides an eight-bunk room to accommodate three shifts. It also boasts three apparatus bays and a large training room for use by the fire department or the City of Germantown. The replacement facility was designed in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED^® requirements to make this the first green firehouse in the community. The project included a state-of-the-art firehouse, fire training and conference facility, and a backup emergency operator answering service center.

To keep the apparatus bay comfortable during the winter months, an underfloor heating system was installed. The design also included low flow fixtures and light sensing shut off lights in unoccupied spaces. New mechanical equipment included an HVAC with variable refrigerant to allow the occupants individual control of different spaces and simultaneous heating and cooling. A light gauge metal frame truss was constructed to house all mechanical equipment out of sight. The primary emergency operator answering service center is located at the Town Hall. With the construction of the new fire station, a backup emergency operator answering service center was included, which required an additional data center with individual cooling/air system, power, and backup generators for equipment computers.

The new facility allows the Germantown Fire Department to provide excellent fire and emergency medical services for the residents of Germantown. In addition to functioning as an emergency response center, the facility is able to provide the community with educational programs and special events.