Planning a Temporary Fire Station for Its First Assignment and Its Next

Define the crew’s daily routine

Start with the personnel who will use the station and the activities that need to happen together. Sleeping, meals, office work, rest and shift changes all influence the layout. Describe where privacy is needed and which spaces will be shared.

FORTS temporary fire-station arrangements use the FORTS 38 platform. Connected layouts bring together sleeping rooms and shared spaces, with kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities defined for the project. The connections, equipment and site services determine the final arrangement.

• Confirm crew size, sleeping arrangements and shift patterns.
• Describe kitchen, bathroom, laundry and storage needs.
• Plan staff circulation and the route to apparatus and other operational areas.

Use example layouts to begin the discussion

The FORTS temporary fire station brochure includes examples with four, six and eight beds across connected shelters. Those bed counts describe the complete illustrated facility. Different arrangements use different numbers of shelters and different relationships between bedrooms and shared spaces.

Use a plan or virtual tour to discuss your department’s needs. Review room dimensions, entrances, connections and support facilities with the team before selecting an arrangement. A useful design should reflect how your crews will actually occupy the station.

Choose a credible next assignment

Identify one or two likely future uses while the initial configuration is being developed. A department might need command workspace, training accommodation, administrative space or crew support at another location. Each use may require different furniture, equipment or interior changes.

For a facility assembled from several shelters, ask which components can be moved or used separately and what work is required to do so. Connections, end walls, utilities and transport arrangements need to support the proposed next configuration. Record that scope rather than assuming every component is independently ready to operate.

Plan for care and movement

FORTS rigid, insulated construction supports a facility intended for repeated use. Replaceable wall panels and refurbishment options can help adapt an owned shelter as requirements change. The appropriate work depends on the unit’s condition and the proposed application.

Include inspection, maintenance, storage and staff training in the ownership plan. Confirm the equipment and people needed to prepare the shelter for transport, move it and return it to service at another site.

Review the first site and the complete package

The station location needs a coordinated plan for delivery, placement, utility connections, drainage and safe access. Have the project team establish the applicable structural, accessibility and occupancy requirements for the selected arrangement.

Share your crew requirements, site information, initial duration and likely future assignments with FORTS. A configuration review can then address both the station you need now and the changes that a later assignment would require.