Three Plus years

Working for a growing city provides regular challenges, but every so often a project comes along that provides satisfaction. For over three years I have worked on the West Fitchburg Fire Station as the city's project manager.  Thirty-one years and a few months ago when I began my employment with Fitchburg I was asked to take over the addition to the fire and police station that had been bid and was under construction.  The problem was that change orders were already out of hand.  This occurred, in part, because the fire chief at the time started adding back in things that had been taken out to bring it within budget.   Last week, on a cool, but sunny Friday afternoon, was the Uncoupling ceremony for the new Fitchburg Fire Station.   To say that the construction of this replacement station began as a hot potato would be an understatement.  The project design and construction spanned over three years, and three mayor’s. The first of the three demanded a re-do, which we did prior to designing this station, of the original space needs study as he was not convinced of the need for relocating both city fire station.  Both existing fire stations were built at a time when the department was basically paid-on-call, but it has now moved to a combination department with two fully manned stations.  It is more efficient to relocate two stations then to build and man a third station.  Of course, city growth has played a large factor in the need for relocation.  Into this maelstrom, I was assigned the task of managing the fire station projects.  It is better to have control from the start than to take it over after construction began. 

Fitchburg Fire Station 2, Marketplace Drive

It took longer to design the building than to construct, and part of that was due to changing demands, although the main delay was the several months for an overloaded legal staff to review the agreement with the architect. A new Mayor (mayor 2) was elected in 2015 and he desired a station that would be sustainable, low maintenance, and long-lasting.  The increase in cost to meet these standards will be more than offset by lower operational costs.  If the building had been constructed as first anticipated it would have been a metal building with no interior wall to cover the insulation in the apparatus bay.  Replacing a twenty year old station, that had its share of problems, demanded a new approach, and the second Mayor promoted a long-lasting sustainable approach.  One would have thought with the Mayor's backing the process would be easier, but it did not.  Demands were made regarding review of material options, detailed cost and operational analyses. It is not that these are wrong, but they lead to more time.       

Kitchen

 The building is sustainable through use of LED lighting throughout the full project, low-flow plumbing fixtures,  radiant floor heating and cooling powered by sixteen wells each 400 feet deep, no-mow fescue-prairie grass for much of the lawn area; solar hot water, and within a month a 91 kw solar photo-voltaic system.  The use of radiant floor allowed the use of concrete as the main flooring option, even for the bunk rooms.  Stainless steel in the kitchen and metal cupboards allow for long-lasting materials.  Geo-thermal and radiant heat and cooling increased the cost per square foot, but it is a better heat option allowing for more even heat.  Radiant heating is becoming standard in truck bays.

Day room.  Like the recliners?

Building projects always pose unknown items and that is particularly true of bid projects.  Unlike school districts, by law cities have to bid construction projects.  To avoid issues of finger pointing as we saw when the city used a multi-bid approach on the library, I decided it best to use a general prime bid so the general contractor would be responsible.  This project had its share of issues required to be addressed and options weighed. The plumbing designer and the structural engineer did not talk to each other leading to changes in depth of column footings, and no structural support for the solar hot water panels had been provided.  Fire staff, even though I asked that they make sure they have the amount of power where they need it, did not mention to the design team the need for 100 amp service for the tank to fill their breathing tanks.  It finally became known as they were prepared to move in.  The HVAC designer forgot to place air filters on the in-take air vents, which is crucial to the air handling equipment.  However, with all of the challenges, net change orders are less than 1% of the construction bid amount of $5.1 million.  With credits due back for some built in private utility connection allowances, the city will get money back. If you have been involved with a construction project, this is a phenomenal outcome.  By comparison, the city of Madison requires their projects to carry an eight percent contingency fund going into construction.

Uncoupling Ceremony, Presentation of the Colors

Building construction today is not as simple and direct as it once was. Technology can be wonderful, but it also can have problems. One benefit was the engagement of a commissioning agent to review system operational plans and to make sure they are working as designed. It was this extra set of eyes that caught the lack of intake air filters. This person also caught other aspects to improve building efficiency. He tested the equipment to make sure it met the design specifications. He was well worth the $18,000 cost. Beyond the bid, the city had to arrange for installation of a number of systems to make a usable long-lasting building for the 21st century. The project manager had to obtain bids, get contracts and arrange for fiber optic installation, patch panels and server installation; video system, door security system, wireless internet system, phone and computer system, and the all important station alerting system. With a donated stove it was also necessary to obtain a valve that was connected to the station alerting system to shut down the stove when a fire call came in. If it did not have walls, the building could be held up by cables and wires.

Ceremonial hose uncoupling

 Buildings are not about the construction.  In this case it is about function for response time.  After all the new location was chosen to offer better response time within the community.  That is the reason for relocating the two fire stations.  It is also about live-ability as the station is occupied seven days a week, 24 hours a day.  The Uncoupling Ceremony provided for a variety of speakers.  In a time when the flag is being disregarded, the ceremony had presentation of the colors inside, and at the conclusion, all were invited outside for the raising of the American flag on the flag pole as revile was played on the bugle.  The flag raising represented the opening and operation of the building where the flag will fly seven days a week, 24 hours a day.  When I first heard the term Uncoupling Ceremony, I thought it sounded like the celebration of a divorce.  Yet, to firefighters it has a specific meaning, and one that had not occurred to me.  When they uncouple a hose, it means their work in the field is done, they can go home, home to the fire house.  The work on the new fire station is now complete, it is now not a fire station, but a fire house. With over three years invested in the project it is rewarding to see it so well received.    

Raising of the American Flag

Images from City of Fitchburg