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Station Location, Apparatus, and Staffing Analysis <br />Roseville, MN <br />Once the decision to add, consolidate, or rebuild a station has been made and the site(s) <br />selected, the process moves on to determining the size of each station-how many units and <br />people should it be designed to house? <br />While an architect will work with the department to determine the exact size and layout <br />of a new station, there are some basic factors a department should consider from the beginning: <br />1. How many units will need to be housed at the station during its lifetime? (Apparatus <br />bays typically make up the largest portion of a fire station.) <br />2. How many personnel will staff the units? <br />3. What facilities will they need (sleeping quarters, parking, fitness facilities, etc.)? <br />4. Will additional units and personnel need to be housed at the station in the foreseeable <br />future? <br />5. Will other organizations share space in the structure (Police Department, Municipal <br />Offices, etc.)? <br />6. How many offices are needed? <br />7. Do we want a community space for the public? <br />8. How big are the available lots in the area the station will go? <br />Although not done as part of this study, comparisons can be made with other departments <br />and the size of their stations to get an idea of how much space will be needed. <br />When prioritizing repairs or renovations in an existing station, an initial screening should <br />be done to determine the long-term viability of the facility. It is important to know whether the <br />facility will be useful from asystem-wide operational standpoint beyond its expected useful <br />lifecycle. If a facility will be unnecessary from a service delivery viewpoint before it would need <br />replacement or major renovation, then it is not worth doing much repair work to it. That is, if the <br />station will need only minor repairs for the next 5 years but major renovation in 6 years but the <br />station will not be needed after 3 years because a new one will be opening up down the road, <br />then it does not make sense to make major repairs or renovations to the building. <br />The next consideration is how long it will take to provide a suitable replacement if one is <br />needed. If a station needs to be relocated, how long will it be before the replacement station is <br />ready for occupancy? It may be appropriate to only make temporary or relatively minor repairs <br />until the move to the new station is completed. If the delay in opening a new station is going to <br />be lengthy, more of the necessary repairs should be made in the interim. <br />System Planning Corporation 15 May 2008 <br />TriData Division <br />