By Chris Bolgiano
Since the ground-breaking ceremony for the station in the Fulks Run Ruritan Park last August 26, the crew has made highly visible progress. “Well,” said Superintendent Pedro Reyes, “the extreme cold did slow us some, because we can’t pour concrete when the temperature goes down to freezing. We are very concerned with maintaining quality.” If the water in the concrete mix freezes, it will expand and damage the concrete beyond repair. The day I stopped in was the first day to reach the upper 40s in several weeks, and Mr. Reyes, who has worked for Harman for 15 years, was clearly happy for the weather break. “I feel fortunate to be working here,” he said. “It’s beautiful, and the Ruritans have given us plenty of space for our equipment and supplies, and provided electricity for our trailer. Larry Custer has been great to work with.”
About half of the floor has been poured, with much of the steel structure up. “Things are going well,” said Victor Martiniz, in charge of the steel structure, who has worked on four or five similar stations, “and with this warming trend, we hope to be able to pour the rest of the floor by the first week in February.” Kevin Campbell, Senior Project Manager for Harman, assured me that mid-July, just before the Ruritan Lawn Party, was still the target completion date.
John Daly, of Mather and Daly Architects, named the major design considerations as, naturally, the safety of firefighters and functionality of the building. Mentioning that firefighters have a higher-than-average risk of getting cancer, he described multiple types of air filtration systems to ensure that personnel don’t breathe vehicle fumes or residual carcinogens from their gear while inside the building, including the truck bays. Firefighters will have ten bunk rooms and an open kitchen, dining, and relaxation area with a large screen for the Phoenix Alerting System. “The aesthetics are modest but nice,” he said.
Jeremy Holloway, Chief of the Rockingham Fire and Rescue Department, added that the community meeting room would seat 25 people at tables, furnished by the County. And the public entry doors will be “fire engine red,” he said, which is obviously the perfect design choice.
