Municipal

Cambridge Fire Station

Cambridge, VT
12,500 SF Public Safety Facility

The Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department had been operating out of three separate and deteriorating buildings for several years. Each of the buildings had multiple code defi ciencies, accessibility issues, safety issues, lack of adequate training space and high energy demand. The buildings were each in some level of disrepair after years of deferred maintenance and neglect. The apparatus did not have proper clearances within the operational bay to access equipment and supplies. WLA evaluated options for how to best provide for the future operational readiness of the department.

The primary goal was to consolidate existing operations of three distinct structures into one consolidated building, to improve operational and training efficiencies, provide safe operational clearance of equipment and consolidate the building envelope and mechanical systems into a building which was easy to operate and maintain for the next 50 years.  

In addition, with proper planning, the new structure was able to be built within 6’ of the existing apparatus building which allowed the apparatus to stay in place (and operationally ready to respond) from the central location in Jeffersonville. At substantial completion, the apparatus was simply moved a few feet and the older structure was razed to provide space for on-site parking. The building fits nicely into the context of the local community.