Sometimes it seems as though the world is getting smaller. Extra space is quickly vanishing as material possessions become burgeoning clutter and facilities consolidate, placing a tighter squeeze on areas traditionally kept for multi-use activities.

Fire departments aren't exempt from this trend. With more fire personnel sharing a station than ever before, adapting fire stations to house EMS staff and apparatus means that fire stations continue to lose open space.

This is a situation that shouldn't be taken lightly. The lost space affects sleeping quarters and exercise areas, two critical aspects of a firefighter's life. If anything, the space needed for sleeping quarters needs to grow — more departments are requesting their volunteer staff to stay overnight.

With ever-tightening budgets, it's much more economical to create additional space within existing facilities than to build new space. So what strategies are available to help fire stations increase, or at least maintain, the space needed for all the necessities of a firefighter's lifestyle? There are a number of furniture options available today to help increase storage space throughout the fire station.

Bridge the community

There are a number of reasons to use space-saving furniture. A fire station today is more than just a facility to house firefighters and their equipment. The station is a symbol of the community and often serves as host for that community's functions.

Community groups call on fire stations for meeting space, and the government sometimes uses them as polling places during elections. Fire stations need additional space to accommodate these functions but can't allocate permanent space. Additionally, it can be physically demanding and costly to bring in tables only for a number of annual events.

Fire stations also have been known to open the doors to the community for shelter overflow during a storm evacuation or disaster. Having Murphy beds, panel or wall beds strategically placed in the station would provide the appropriate accommodations to families in times of need.

Occasional threatening weather also means an increase in the number of emergency and rescue staff on standby in the station. Should a storm and subsequent cleanup period last through several shifts, the additional rescue staff would welcome a temporary bed for rest. Using space-saving furniture in the station would accommodate all of these community needs.

Space-saving furniture offers solutions to create comfortable and functional environments for fire and rescue stations. Efficient and aesthetically adaptive stations can be achieved with several versatile furniture products, including Murphy beds, wall beds and side beds that can be complemented with functional vertical storage cabinets. Murphy beds and panel beds can be stowed away when not in use, enabling the room to convert and serve a variety of purposes.

Less is more

Space-saving furniture also can be used in entertainment and recreation areas, offices and meeting rooms, closets, kitchen pantries and garages.

These products are built to stand up to the harshest environments with resilience and comfort. Flexible in design and application, modular furniture systems provide options that use as little floor space as possible. Beds can be manufactured for all mattress sizes, providing comfort that gives each squad member a healthier night's rest. Cutting-edge products designed today include a twin panel bed with extended length for more leg room, attached to extra long cabinets on each side that can be used as a locker.

Bunk beds often are used in fire stations to maximize space. Unlike Murphy beds, however, bunk beds can't be re-configured to create space when converting sleeping quarters into a meeting or exercise room.

Maintaining an adequate amount of exercise space also is extremely important for a fire station. Studies show that a 25-year-old rookie firefighter can look ahead to 35 years of service with proper health and care. Knowing this, a functional exercise area is a critical component to the fire station and can't be compromised. Space-saving furniture allows firefighters to keep an area available for exercise activities.

Organizational systems can provide additional space in closets, kitchens and garages. These fully functional systems offer a sturdy and flexible way to condense shelves and drawers to increase storage capacity. Space-saving desks and fold-away tables also can be used in offices and entertainment areas, providing an opportunity to expand space in just about every room.

Whether you are planning the design of a new fire and rescue station or thinking of ways to create more space in a current one, rest assured that there are money-saving options available for you. Knowing how to use space-maximizing furniture will create a healthier, happier staff and a community that can readily rely upon the services of your station.

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Clark Williams is the chief operating officer of Vspace, the commercial division of More Space Place. Vspace manufactures an extensive line of flexible modular components that includes Murphy beds, wall beds, panel beds, bookcases, upper cabinets, office furniture, entertainment centers and organizational systems for the closet, pantry and garage. Vspace serves a number of vertical markets including fire stations. For more information, visit www.vspace.com or call 888-731-3051.

Space-Savers

Flexible in design and application, modular furniture systems provide the necessary options with the use of as little floor space as possible. Ideal uses for put-away furniture are:

Exercise areas

Wall or panel beds enable fire stations to convert bedrooms into exercise rooms, helping firefighters stay healthier.

Recreation areas

Hideaway furniture and storage cabinetry help fire stations save space in entertainment rooms.

Kitchens and garages

Organizational systems can be used to clear clutter out of the kitchen pantry and garages.

Meeting rooms

Fold-away tables can be used in meeting rooms to accommodate community functions and fire station meetings.

Shelter areas

Wall beds can create additional rest or sleeping areas when the station is called on to serve as a shelter during a storm or disaster.

Murphy's Law of Comfort

Understanding the Murphy bed's history offers more insight into its features.

In 1894, William L. Murphy was a single man living in a cramped studio apartment in San Francisco. Murphy would constantly maneuver around his furniture when entertaining guests, so he decided to design a bed that could rest against the wall when it wasn't in use. He began experimenting with a folding bed, pivoted on the doorjamb of a dressing closet and then lowered into its standard position. By the early 1900s, Murphy's idea was patented and the Murphy bed was in production.

The Murphy bed rapidly gained popularity as city life became in vogue and space was at a premium. In 1925 the Murphy Bed Door Co. moved its headquarters to New York City. During its heyday, the company produced more than 50,000 Murphy beds annually.

World War II saw a widespread drop in the use of compact furniture with production limited due to a shortage of steel. After the war, returning soldiers were offered low-cost veterans mortgages, and families began to move to the suburbs where they could have roomier homes. Families no longer needed space-saving products.

It wasn't until the 1970s that the Murphy bed resurgence began anew when a recession, oil embargoes and high interest rates forced many Americans into smaller spaces.

Several other changes brought about an increased interest in the Murphy bed. One is the way in which the beds are marketed. Originally installed in a closet, today's models are sold in conjunction with cabinets and other built-in furniture choices. This creates the option of combining a Murphy bed with an office, increasingly essential in today's multipurpose rooms.

The increase in wall bed interest is also stimulated by innovations and technical improvements. Key developments include improved raising/lowering mechanisms and better construction.

The key advancement on the frame mechanism features finely tuned steel-coil springs that counter-balance the weight of the bed. This innovation has made operation of the Murphy bed both safe and effortless — an important consideration given today's emphasis on ergonomics.

A therma-fused melamine construction instead of wood provides a more scratch-resistant surface that can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth. Structurally, it has exceptionally strong vertical support, capable of holding the heaviest of loads.