Have the national disasters of the past five years changed what you store in your fire station? Since Sept. 11, 2001, are your vehicles, equipment and stations more secure? What about separate decontamination areas for ambulances or EMS personnel clothing? Do you encourage firefighters to wash their uniforms in the station rather than at home?

In the event of a major disaster, are you prepared for firefighters in the fire station 24/7 having little or no contact with their families? Would you have an influx of families hanging around to be near a spouse or parent? Should fire stations stockpile food and water? Have the small fire stations in Mississippi or Alabama changed their view of “preparedness” since Katrina? We heard there was an unexpected demand in Louisiana for extra boots and driers for soaked turnout gear.

If we have learned anything, the phrase “it can't happen here” shouldn't be uttered. It could be manmade terror or natural disaster. It could be something you've never dreamed of that's never been seen before in the United States.

Five years ago, we introduced Fire Chief's Station Style Design Awards. The 34 stations in the October 2001 issue were divided into three categories: Career, Volunteer and Renovation. In this issue we offer you more than 60 fire stations, plus two new categories: Satellite and Combined Use. The changes over the five years are worth noting, as many are the result of the evolution of the emergency services.

One consequence of 9/11 was the need for better security in fire stations, including bay doors that automatically close after a response, reinforced doors and coated glass in station houses. Video-monitoring systems keep watch over both the interior and exterior of a fire station. Stations have upgraded incident command centers within their stations — some below street level — and others that can withstand natural disasters.

Environmental factors are becoming more of an issue and an area to consider in designing a new building. The South Urban Fire Station in Canada transplanted 45 trees to make room for the new station, outlining the property with those trees. They also added a cistern to catch rainwater to clean fire apparatus. A department in Georgia built a 9,000-square-foot solar fire station to mitigate issues of poor air quality and energy efficiency. Awareness of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and buildings using sustainable materials and technology will become trends over the next several years.

The focus on healthy first responders is not a fad, and it won't disappear. Fire stations across the country include fitness rooms because for the current generation and future first responders, fitness is a requirement for the job. They will not compromise their health as previous generations have.

Doing more with less is something of a tradition within the budget-conscious fire service. When it comes to facilities, renovation can offer lower-priced options. One department transformed a former Coca-Cola plant into an expansive combined facility for fire and police.

Education and preparedness of local citizens through Citizen Corps, Fire Corps or Ready.gov must increase. Fire stations might consider classrooms with public access for community education. One fire department designed a triage room for citizens who come in with medical questions. Training for firefighters is uniquely designed into several stations as well. One fire chief had the station's sprinkler valves fitted to the outside of the wall for training purposes. Another department's hose-drying tower offers high-rise and confined-space training.

There is joy in the small touches: wrought-iron Maltese crosses affixed to gates, stained- or etched-glass Maltese Crosses above the entrance, sconces made from old equipment. Each of these shows pride of the profession.

If you decide to buy a new fire truck, there are many factors to consider before you make the purchase, but if you decide to build or renovate a fire station, the factors increase exponentially: staffing, diversity, technology, new services, and state and federal rules and NFPA guidelines. Be careful, look to the future, and never say never.