Truck Bays Angled in Texas Station
Six apparatus bays at a 45-degree angle to the building side are a feature of the new station of the Canyon, Texas, Fire Department. The angled bays were designed to provide an easy flow of apparatus into the street traffic at a right angle to the apparatus room.
The masonry station, which has a roof of prestressed concrete beams, includes six 18 X 58-foot, drive-through, apparatus bays with electrically controlled glass overhead doors. Research done by engineers showed that the glass doors would help heat the apparatus room, thereby saving fuel costs.
Each bay has compressed air and water outlets and three 1*2-inch hose reels for refilling apparatus tanks from the floor, thus reducing the possibility of falls.
The bay at the far end of the station is a maintenance shop with welding equipment, waste oil storage, and heavy washing and cleanup capability. This bay is closed off from the other bays so exhaust fans can be used during spray painting. At the other end of the apparatus room is a hose maintenance and storage room, and next to that is a breathing apparatus room with a cascade system.
The alarm room was designed and finished by the volunteer fire fighters. The Canyon Fire Department, headed by Chief Jack Jennings, has 40 volunteer and two paid fire fighters. The volunteers built the radio equipment console, map racks, desk and shelving.
Also on the first floor are shower and locker rooms and offices for the chief, deputy chief and department president and secretary.
On the second floor are a training room, dayroom and dormitory. The training room can be divided into two rooms, each with an electrically operated projection screen and outlets for projectors. The dayroom is separated from the training room by a sliding wall so that both rooms can be used as one expansive area. The volunteers furnished the dayroom with kitchen facilities, including a microwave oven, a woodburning fireplace, reclining chairs and a color TV set.
The dormitory was designed to accommodate four university students who can live there free in return for being on duty at the station nights and weekends. The students have their own kitchen, toilet and shower room, and separate entrance. Each student also has his own desk in the dormitory.
The stoves in both the dayroom and the dormitory have quick cut-off valves that shut off all stove burners when an alarm is received. Also, the entire station is protected by a fire alarm system that has heat and smoke detectors and manual stations with a control panel in the alarm room.
