FGMA’s design for better emergency response provides critical space to volunteers, first responders and the community
On Saturday, February 3, in Bartlett, Illinois, the Hanover Township Emergency Services (HTES) Unit celebrated the opening of its new emergency services facility with a ribbon cutting and building tours. The HTES Unit is comprised of a dedicated group of professional volunteers who assist first responders such as police officers and firefighters with support at the scene, while also supplementing search-and-rescue response. Though established in 2009, the township’s Department of Emergency Services did not have a centralized location to deliver essential services to the community or to provide the necessary training.
“Our design for Hanover Township’s new emergency services facility underlines the connection between the built environment and the effectiveness of an organization,” commented FGMA’s public safety expert, Jason Estes, AIA. “The most satisfying projects we do really showcase how great design and healthy work culture go hand in hand. The benefits are clear in how the volunteers and first responders utilizing the facility have already felt an improvement.”
The project scope included the development and design of a new emergency services facility to connect to the existing HTES Unit living quarters. Site challenges included new street development and a requirement to preserve existing wetlands adjacent to the living quarters. FGMA worked with the Township engineer, Thomas Engineering, to ensure that the facility addition aligned with the site requirements.
The Emergency Services addition, designed by FGMA, preserves the wetlands on site and is situated to align with new street development. The addition includes an apparatus bay for 12 vehicles, a turnout gear room, a locker room, and two toilet/shower rooms that also function as a storm enclosure. Jason Estes and Jake McLaughlin worked with Hanover Township to design an addition that would both accommodate recent growth for the Department of Emergency Services and support it for the years to come.
Director of Hanover Township Emergency Services Mike Crews Speaks at Ribbon Cutting
The facility, now open and in full use, serves as the headquarters for the Hanover Township Department of Emergency Services and its volunteer officers.
“There’s no question that our ability to better respond to emergencies 24 hours a day is greatly improved with this new facility,” said Mike Crews, the director of township emergency services, at the event. “The culture we are able to create with our volunteers working and training together at this station is truly invaluable.”
FGMA’s Public Safety Expertise
FGMA offers unparalleled public safety design expertise. We are continually expanding our expertise as well by researching trends and innovations, networking with chiefs, touring stations nationwide and abroad and searching for new and better ways to meet the ever-changing demands of the public safety industry. We bring to our clients a unique understanding of the world of public safety as it exists today and will become tomorrow.
Raymond Lee, AIA, specializes in the programming and planning of public safety (emergency communications, public safety and fire service) and municipal facilities. When working with clients, he is fully committed to understanding their goals and culture and finding ways to support them. He is a life-long learner with a passion for understanding how the built environment can positively influence an organization and the health, wellness, and quality of life for the users. Ray also has an outstanding knowledge of resilient design, focusing on best practices for safety and security from man-made threats and natural disasters.
View our full public safety design portfolio here.
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