Planning Daily Life in a FORTS 38 Temporary Fire Station

Start with the shift

Establish occupancy, shift overlap and activities happening at the same time. Ask the crew about privacy, meal preparation, storage and the shared spaces they rely on. Those answers help distinguish essential rooms from optional additions.

Current FORTS 38 planning examples include four-, six- and eight-bed facilities. Use these as starting points. The selected number of shelters, room arrangement and support spaces define the proposed station.

Give private and shared space clear roles

Locate sleeping areas with movement through the facility in mind. Review the relationship between room entrances, common areas and exterior access. Furniture should leave intended circulation routes and building-system access clear.

Shared areas may bring dining, seating, briefings and watch-office functions together. Decide where the crew gathers and where someone needs a quieter place to work. Compare the layout with the daily routine as well as bed count.

Plan connections and support spaces

Prepared FORTS 38 units can connect in tandem. Connection positions affect movement between enclosed rooms and common areas, so review them as part of the complete floor plan.

FORTS 38 support-pod examples include bathroom, Cook Shack and laundry arrangements. Select the functions needed for the assignment, then coordinate access, utilities and maintenance space with the shelter layout.

• Check routes from sleeping rooms to shared and support areas.
• Include food preparation, personal belongings and gear workflows in the discussion.
• Identify access for servicing HVAC, plumbing and selected equipment.

Carry the layout onto the site

Show how the crew reaches apparatus and other operational areas. Coordinate pedestrian movement, vehicle access, parking and delivery routes. The project team should review the proposed use, site services and applicable requirements together.

Insulated rigid walls and selected HVAC support the occupied interior. Specify environmental systems around the location, occupancy and equipment, and identify required power and utility connections.

Review the furnished plan with the crew

Walk through a shift: arriving, storing belongings, eating, resting and leaving for a call. Review furnishings and customer-supplied communications equipment, including power and connection needs.

Bring FORTS the shift size, desired rooms, location and duration. A furnished plan gives the department a concrete basis for reviewing the station before delivery planning.