Russellville Central Fire Station

Russellville’s Central Fire Station has received national recognition from the firefighting community for its innovation and commitment to its local community. Plans for the station began as early as 2013, and Van Horn Construction worked closely with city leaders and fire department personnel to construct what local residents have named “a building for the community.” VHC had no recordable accidents during this project, which occurred during the period in which the company earned ABC’s Diamond STEP Award. In 2019 this project received ABC's Excellence in Construction Award for Institutional: Public Use $5M to $10M. 

Facility Overview

The City of Russellville desired a station that would improve the training and response capacity of its fire department, and by extension, provide an increased level of safety for its citizens.
The entire station is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that supports the department’s efficiency goals. For example, the gas grill in the station kitchen interfaces with the Computer-Aided Dispatch system that alerts firefighters to calls. Upon the initial call, the gas grill automatically shuts down, saving firefighters precious seconds during their response.

Each of the station’s four floors serves multiple functions. The ground level, or first floor, holds six drive -thru bays (three bays for large pumper and ladder trucks exiting onto El Paso Avenue and three bays for short auxiliary vehicles and reserve pumpers exiting onto West B Street). The public may enter the station lobby on the ground level, where they may view a large waterfall mural by local photographer and former City Engineer, Kurt Jones. The first floor also contains a large training room that may be separated by a partition for classes or training sessions, as well as offices and a break room.

The station’s second floor holds the living quarters for firefighters, including sleeping spaces, laundry facilities, a stainless steel kitchen, and a patio and outdoor grill that are adjacent to the day room. This floor also holds a designated fitness area. The highlight of the third floor is a rooftop patio that allows for a view of the City of Russellville and the surrounding area. The Russellville Fire Department hopes that the patio will not only serve as an opportunity to identify potential fires in the area, but may also be utilized by community groups as an outdoor meeting space.

Administration offices are also found on the third floor, as well as an integrated conference room that relays media to the first-floor training rooms. The fourth floor serves as a training space for firefighters and may only be accessed by ladder. The training tower is a unique feature, and it provides firefighters with an opportunity to train with fire protection. Firefighters also have access to a stairwell for practice climbing, as well as repelling options and a standpipe sprinkler system.

The project team conducted comprehensive studies on Russellville’s historical downtown area in order to ensure that the exterior of the station supported the city’s master plan for design and revitalization. The exterior of the building combines masonry and architectural composite metal, and windows are strategically placed to allow light into living and working spaces within the station.