Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services building expansion consolidates functions and storage.
News March 2, 2020 Daniel Prince
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – Arnold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services equipment that once had to be stored and serviced in outbuildings is now more readily accessible after the completion of a roughly 1,500 square foot addition to the FES building.
Arnold Engineering Development Complex Civil Engineering Branch oversaw the roughly $1.1 million project, which also included the replacement of overhead doors for the vehicle bays.
“We were happy we could supply the fire department with upgraded facilities to improve their mission readiness,” said Reggie Floyd, Air Force Project Manager.
The addition includes three rooms on the ground floor – a personal protective equipment cleaning area, a maintenance room for self-contained breathing apparatuses and a room to clean contaminants, such as blood-borne pathogens, from equipment. The mezzanine provides climate-controlled storage for hazardous material suits.
Moving these functions and equipment into the fire station from non-climate controlled outbuildings allows mission-essential equipment to be protected from the elements and other hazards. It also allows firefighters to complete maintenance tasks while minimizing impact to call response time.
Unreliable doors can also impact response time, an issue addressed with 13 new 16-foot tall industrial overhead doors.
“They (FES team) were just in need of better quality doors that they know will operate reliably,” Floyd said.
Two existing bay openings were also converted into a double bay with a single door to accommodate two aircraft firefighting vehicles.
“We’re extremely grateful to the fire marshal and the Civil Engineering group on base because they gave us great support in obtaining what we needed,” said Daryle Lopes, Arnold AFB Fire Chief. “The improvements have enhanced our ability to carry out our mission.”