Fire Headquarters for NEAFD

As recently reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, JEMA was selected as the architect for the new Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District (NEAFD) Fire Headquarters.

For the first time in over thirty years, the residents of the NEAFD voted in favor of Proposition F, authorizing the funds for a new facility. NEAFD, which serves seventeen municipalities in St. Louis County including UMSL, is one of the busiest districts in all of St. Louis County.

The 31,000 sq. ft. facility reflects the contextual heritage of the surrounding neighborhoods utilizing limestone, brick and slate. JEMA worked with Chief Quinten Randolph and his crew to develop the pioneering design, which features five drive-through apparatus bays, a community & training center, individual sleeping suites, and a hardened storm shelter.

In order to maximize response time, two fire poles along with a communicating stair provide exceptionally quick access from the upper floor to the apparatus bay. The apparatus bay will have a perimeter glass clerestory that allows natural light to permeate the bay throughout the day reducing the need for artificial lighting and reducing the district’s energy consumption. The lower level contains a structurally hardened “storm shelter” that will act as a place of refuge for the community during storms and other natural disasters.