Story

Design Program:  Established in 1907, this Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Station #5 graces the corner of Douglas Avenue and North Street. Because the structure itself was very old, the original wooden floors of the fire truck bays were still in place, and with the new and much heavier firefighting equipment being purchased by the City of Kalamazoo, a structural study had to be done to determine if the original floor had the ability to support the weight of the new mini pumper fire truck.

Design Challenges:  Because the City of  Kalamazoo's Department of Public Safety Stations are in constant operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it was hard to do the study in a very thorough and professional manner without interfering  with the officers daily duties.