Plans call for a near tripling of space

By Joe Kelly

As plans for a new Norfolk firehouse advance through the design and budgeting phases—and ultimately a town vote—one question comes up repeatedly: Why is the proposed firehouse, at 10,700 square feet, so much larger than the current one, which is just 3,800 square feet?

Town officials, the project architect and Norfolk firefighters themselves point to five factors that they say collectively drive the need for a larger facility.

First, firefighting has changed. While Norfolk’s population has fallen over the years, the number of structures that can catch fire remains the same. Construction materials and furnishings now make greater use of synthetic materials, so fires burn hotter and faster. The town’s firefighters also handle many accidents that occur on Norfolk’s roadways. In past years, their role might have been confined to hosing down the accident scene. Today, firefighters extract people from cars and manage the response to major incidents, such as the 2022 gas tanker spill on Route 44. 

The growing size of fire trucks also comes into play. As firefighting has changed, fire trucks have increased in size. They carry much more water and are equipped with larger pumps, bigger electrical generators and a system for creating foam that suppresses fires more quickly. They also carry tools to address a wide variety of emergencies, from brush fires to vehicular accidents to water or hiking trail rescues. Firefighters also now carry far more gear, including air packs. All of this requires more space, so today’s trucks are wider, longer and taller than their predecessors.

Safety is an ongoing consideration. While these bigger fire trucks do squeeze into the current firehouse, they don’t do so safely. The space around each truck is well below the minimum of three feet called for in modern building codes. The proposed new firehouse allocates an 18-foot-wide bay to each firetruck. 

There is now an increased concern over the adverse health risks from exposure to truck diesel exhaust and off-gassing from chemical residues on gear and clothing. Enhanced ventilation and decontamination facilities are now a standard part of firehouse design, requiring a layout—and additional square footage—that creates a clear separation between clean and dirty areas.

Finally, the role of the firehouse building has evolved. The existing firehouse was designed primarily as a garage for trucks. Today’s firefighters use the firehouse to meet weekly, train regularly and as a command center during major incidents. That’s why a larger meeting space, office, conference room and dedicated dispatch/communications area are all part of the proposed design.

The exact dimensions of Norfolk’s firehouse are still being hammered out. In the coming months, final plans will be presented, and Norfolk residents will be able to judge for themselves if the size is right.

Norfolk Now encourages readers to submit questions related to the proposed firehouse to editor@nornow.org and will attempt to answer them in future articles.