As Austin, Texas, continues its rapid growth, the City of Austin (COA) recognized a critical need for more fire and EMS stations to ensure all residents were receiving emergency services in an appropriate amount of time. Through analysis of response times and identification of areas of significant population growth, the COA identified 5 fire and EMS stations to be delivered within 6 years.

The Need

The design-build delivery method and bundling 5 stations into 1 work program was proposed as a solution to increase speed to market for these stations and accomplish the COA’s initiative to bring response times to an 8-minute or less response time for 90% of calls.

And as important as public safety was for the COA, so was the meticulous consideration for the health and wellness of the first responders and how the new facilities would support the well-being and daily lives of these essential personnel.

The COA + JE Dunn + PGAL Partnership

The design-build approach fostered strong collaborative relationships amongst the COA, JE Dunn, and PGAL and demonstrated effective problem-solving for challenges like site diversity, permitting, supply chain issues during COVID-19, and evolving client needs.

“I know JE Dunn was responsible for being able to [complete the fire and EMS stations on time]. We set out the task before them and gave them the parameters and the goals, and they were able to meet those goals with PGAL,” said Burton Jones, City of Austin, Capital Delivery Services, Project Manager. “That was an incredibly difficult thing, and we will have achieved that goal. That’s just amazing to me.”

Keys to Success

The successful execution of the 5 New Fire and EMS Stations Project was based on several critical factors that allowed JE Dunn and PGAL to overcome complexities and deliver outstanding results.

• Transparent Communication: The consistent exchange of information was crucial for identifying alternative solutions, optimizing designs, and understanding the long-term impact on operational costs.
• Integrated Teamwork: Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) identified and resolved conflicts before construction began. For example, the team created detailed virtual mockups of each station’s exterior skin. This allowed them to thoroughly test and refine the exterior design in advance of actual installation.
• Continuous Improvement: Having a consistent project team across all five stations meant that lessons learned from one station could be immediately applied to the next. This allowed for continuous improvement of the spaces for the firefighters and EMS personnel.
• Adaptive Problem-Solving: The design-build delivery approach was instrumental in navigating challenges such as diverse conditions of each site, managing complex permitting processes, and addressing external market disruptions like material cost escalation.
• A Clear Vision: The COA’s comprehensive Design Criteria Manual (DCM)was more than a set of guidelines. It clearly articulated the design objectives and the desired level of quality. This clear direction allowed PGAL to focus their ingenuity where it mattered most, ultimately elevating the overall quality.

Quality and Efficiency for Modern Stations

The COA’s goals included aesthetically pleasing stations that moved beyond traditional designs, which PGAL fully embraced.

“The expectations for Austin-Travis County EMS have been met 1,000%. It was very interesting when we fell into a rhythm with PGAL and built these stations,” said Chief Wes Hopkins, of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. “Our weekly meetings, biweekly meetings and stakeholder Monday morning meetings with capital delivery were hugely successful and we refined the process with each station that we built.”

Examples of the unique design considerations:

• Del Valle was residential-oriented and simplistic.
• Travis Country was stylistic with angled metal panels.
• Davenport Ranch blended with challenging topography using exposed earth and limestone.
• Goodnight Ranch was influenced by its colorful neighborhood, using multi-colored panels.
• Canyon Creek featured a strong masonry base, a more traditional aesthetic, and a butterfly roof with expressed solar panels.

“It’s interesting to look back at the five stations because they’re all different and yet they have commonality. I really credit the city and the fire and EMS staff. They didn’t cling to a sort of a traditional esthetic. So, there is a sort of underlying, very clean, modern composition amongst the five that are also influenced by their location, surroundings, context, and neighborhood. It is very cool to look at the five as a body of work and see those common elements,” said Cris Ruebush, PGAL Principal.

Design included individual dorm rooms and bathrooms for privacy, spacious kitchens, and dedicated rest areas for necessary downtime. Decontamination rooms were provided for medics to clean themselves and their uniforms, preventing the spread of pathogens into living quarters.

Specialized alerting systems with red lighting were installed to be less jarring than traditional bright lights, aiding in quicker adjustment during night calls. Ventilation systems were incorporated to manage diesel exhaust in apparatus bays, improving air quality.

The Result

The COA is already seeing improved emergency response times. This means firefighters and paramedics can now reach residents much faster, directly meeting critical response goals, said Chief Talia.

“Everybody loves these new stations. They have all the latest cancer prevention systems. They have the environmental systems. These are just decked out places compared to the stations when I started my career,” said Talia. “People are really wanting to work at these locations, and we’re having a lot of applications and a lot of competition for firefighters to apply and work at these locations.”

The stations have moved the needle on response times, said Chief Hopkins, specifically in the Goodnight Ranch, Davenport, Travis Country, Del Valle areas.

“The other thing it’s done is that the existing surrounding ambulances have seen a decrease in what we call ‘unit utilization hours.’ These medics work long 12- and 24-hour shifts. And the more ambulances that you have in that network of ambulances decreases the workload of surrounding ambulances. And that has proved wildly beneficial to our medics because it allows them to combat crew fatigue,” he said.

These new facilities have not only significantly improved emergency response times across key Austin areas but have also set a new standard for firefighter and EMS personnel health and comfort, making these stations highly sought-after workplaces that combat crew fatigue and enhance overall quality of life for Austin’s vital first responders.