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BOSTON - Friday, September 25, 2020 - Mayor
Martin J. Walsh, Boston Fire Commissioner John Dempsey and Boston Fire
Department firefighters today celebrated the final beam raising on the
first new firehouse built in the City of Boston in over 30 years. The construction
of Engine 42, Rescue 2, District 9 Firehouse is a $23.5 million investment
in the City of Boston's community and emergency services. The City of
Boston Public Facilities Department (PFD), in collaboration with the Boston
Fire Department (BFD), is working closely with Dore & Whittier
Architects and Boston Building and Bridge on design and construction. The
design focuses on both emergency response for the neighborhood and the
health and wellness of firefighters.
"An investment in emergency services
and first responders is an investment in the community and Boston's safety.
Designing and building a firehouse that prioritizes the health, safety and
wellbeing is exactly how we should give back to first responders who
sacrifice their health and safety for us," said Mayor Walsh. "I
want to thank Commissioner Dempsey and all the firefighters for their
commitment to our city and residents."
This beam raising marks the completion of
the structural steel installation, which started in October 2019, and the
next step in the construction process. Now, construction will phase into
installing masonry, which will enclose the building exterior, along with
the roof and windows, making it watertight. Due to COVID-19, construction
was paused for two months.
The priority for the new firehouse is the
health and safety of Boston Fire Department firefighters. As part of the
design and construction, the building minimizes particulate contaminants
from traveling to the living quarters of the building. The new building
will be broken into three zones (hot, warm and cold) to keep carcinogens
from circulating throughout the house.
"It's been a long time since we've had
a Mayor willing to invest in the safety, health, and wellness of our
firefighters," said Fire Commissioner Dempsey. "This allows for
optimal performance in our service to the residents of Boston. This new
firehouse will keep our firefighters healthy for years to come."
The completed Engine 42, Rescue 2, District
9 firehouse will include:
- Three
extended apparatus bays, allowing more BFD tactical rescue equipment
to be housed at the location
- 25
seat training room, allowing BFD to keep tactical rescue companies up
to date on latest training, and keeping them closer to their houses,
instead of training on Moon Island
- Training
deck on the roof, confined space training prop, and training stair
tower to allow for simulated training exercises onsite
- Fitness
room to promote wellness
- 14
bunk rooms to house two companies
- Energy
efficient building designed to LEED Silver requirements
- White
roof that will be solar ready
- High
efficiency mechanical systems, LED lighting
Additionally, the City of Boston is
commissioning an artist to create a long-term public artwork to complement
the construction of the Engine 42 fire station. This project has a budget
of $300,000, and is funded by the City's Percent for Art program, which
commissions one percent of the City's capital borrowing for the creation of
public art. $15.0 million has been allocated to this program over the next
five years. The artwork at Engine 42 will be a site-specific, impactful,
focal design feature that aims to enrich the connection between the Boston
Fire Department and the surrounding Egleston and Roxbury communities.
Mayor Walsh's FY21-25 Capital Plan includes
other health and safety improvements to firehouse projects as a result of
recent programming. Starting in FY16, the Fire Department, in conjunction
with the Public Facilities Department, studied best practices for firehouse
design. Key design changes include defined zones within the firehouse to
prevent contamination of living areas, along with improved personal and
gear cleaning facilities. The results of this planning are reflected in the
projects to replace firehouses for Engine 42 in Roxbury and Engine 17 in
Dorchester, at a total investment of $48 million. The firehouses for Engine
3 in the South End and Engine 37 on Huntington Avenue are also scheduled to
be replaced.
The 2.5 story building is 23,000 square
feet, replacing the previous single story, 6,400 square foot firehouse,
which opened in 1952. As the firehouse is still under construction,
operations have been reallocated to 121 Armory Street, which is 0.2 miles
from the existing fire station.
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