On a recent road trip to Sister Bay, Wis., I toured the new Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Station. While Chief Chris Hecht apologized for the move-in chaos, the time and effort put into creating this spacious, all-volunteer fire station was obvious.

Designed in a sort of L-shape, the long, multiple apparatus bays are drive-through. More frequently used ambulances are housed in a shorter section in front, facing the road. A health club-quality fitness room, funded through a FIRE Act grant, is open to department members' families as an added perk and to encourage fitness.

Hecht was particularly proud of the tower for hose drying, as well as a variety of training options built into the structure. A trap door on the floor of the storage balcony, above the apparatus floor, will be used for rope-rescue training and other technical-rescue exercises. The grand opening of the station is later this month, and I'm eager to see the finished station.

There's a lot to building a new fire station or remodeling an old one. How do you decide whether to remodel or build? It's not just about the money, but the potential future growth of your community as well as your department's growth. If a volunteer department is considering adding full-time personnel, you need to think about sleeping and bathroom accommodations. Location will affect response time. What type of training facilities can you build into your station, and what type of disasters will affect the equipment and supplies you should have in stock?

This month, we've been busy getting ready for the 2004 Station Style Design Awards judging that will take place next week. We've received more than 70 fire stations entries -- the highest number in the three years of the program. The first-, second- and third-place winners in the career, volunteer and renovation categories will be featured on our Web site, and all entries that receive honorable mentions will appear in the November issue of Fire Chief. Once again, this issue looks like it will be a keeper for any department contemplating building or renovating facilities.

The awards for the top three winners will be presented at the 2004 Fire Industry Equipment Research Organization's Fire Station Symposium on Design, Construction and Maintenance to be held Oct. 7-9 in Charlotte, N.C. The third symposium sponsored by FIERO, once again it has a dynamite lineup of speakers and topics.

In addition to the symposium there will be an exhibition of fire station-related products and services -- from design services to building materials. Whether your department is considering a stand-alone fire station, combined-use facility or other emergency service facility, the FIERO Symposium will bring you the latest updates on everything from site location and building codes to "green" issues and dorm-versus-individual sleeping rooms.

A pre-conference program by Mary McGrath of RRM Design will focus on grants available to help finance a new station or renovations to an existing building.

According to Conference Director Robert Tutterow, the registration fee before Sept. 10 is $375; after Sept. 10th it will be $425. Discounts are available for groups of three or more that register before Sept. 10. To learn more and register for this special program, go to www.fierofirestation.com
or call Tutterow at 704-336-5609.

When it comes to building or remodeling, the investment in this symposium will more than pay for itself with the information you'll carry away.

Janet Wilmoth, Editor