SIDNEY — The architects working on the master plans for Sidney Fire Department’s (SFD) future Station No. 3 presented Sidney Council with an update at Monday’s Sidney City Council meeting.
Fire Chief Brad Jones reminded council, when introducing Tim Bement, from App Architecture in Englewood, and Rob Manns, from Manns Woodward Studios in Baltimore, that he was tasked in 2014 with updating the 2008 Community Risk Assessment. The assessment showed, Jones said, that with call volume going up almost 30 percent and a “considerable growth potential” to the north of Sidney, it is clear a third station was necessary.
Manns and Bement explained to council their process of designing the future facility to be built at 2401 Wapakoneta Ave. on the 12.5 acres of land the city of Sidney purchased in 2017. They displayed an inside layout of the station and outside grounds where the UL live fire testing was conducted last summer. The architects also showed a grounds outline for a possible future tactical village and public safety training center on the land, as well. However, the information presented Monday focused on station No. 3, which is what the tax levy funds from the upcoming May ballot would, along with street repairs, pay to build.
The third fire station model was based on a process that included a focus group of fire department member’s likes and dislikes and needs, tours of existing stations, and from a building program that plans every square foot of space. The building’s look was modeled from member’s preference from touring existing stations in Troy, Huber Heights and Kettering.
“We are trying to be very conscience about dollars that are being spent. That is what master planning is about. It is about looking way into the future and understanding when we make this series of calculated moves, you are not going to redo something to achieve the next step. It is a process that you are building upon from one step to the next. So, it is the best use of dollars. It’s where good planning comes from,” Bement said.
The architects showed council drawings what each room of the floor plan would look like, including dorm rooms, living spaces, decontamination zones, apparatus bay/garage, outdoor living and public spaces would be used for and how they arrived at the design. They displayed a finished drawing of what the third station should look like from Wapakoneta Avenue. The fire station is envisioned to have a 50-plus year life span.
“We know that priority number one is the fire station No. 3. That is a stand alone project. It is self contained,” Manns said of the city’s multi-phase plan for the land.
Council member Janet Born asked if provisions were included for female members of the department. The architects said yes, they are aware it is a future trend for more female members to be joining the department. They told Born the living areas are for both sexes with individual bunks and showers for privacy.
City manager Mark Cundiff emphasized this is stage one of the multi-year, multi-phase plan and the May tax levy is just for a third fire station.
Council member Ed Hamaker said he was very impressed with the architects’ work, and expressed gratitude for being allowed to be part of the committee which worked on bringing a third fire station to Sidney.
