New Fire & EMS Station
About The Project
The Township of Willingboro’s Fire and EMS departments support more than 32,000 residents and receive more than 4,800 calls for emergency response support annually. The existing firehouse at the corner of Charleston Road (CR 630) and John F. Kennedy Way (CR 633) served as the home to the Township’s Fire and EMS staff for nearly 50 years and was in need of major repair. RVE served as construction manager of the new 41,000 SF facility. Initially, RVE oversaw the demolition of the existing building to prepare it for the footprint of the new facility which includes private bunkrooms, lockers, residential bathrooms, large kitchen and dining areas, a fitness center and a modern training classroom. There are eight drive-through bays for fire trucks and ambulances. The building also houses administrative office headquarters of the Fire and EMS departments. RVE collaborated with the contractor, scheduling the demolition and construction with the goal of having the Fire and EMS departments out of their headquarters and into their new facility as quickly as possible. RVE provided enhanced inspection coverage by utilizing time lapse and drone photography. The time lapse cameras capture construction progress in detail and the drone provided aerial views of the site.
Project Gallery
Prior to the start of construction, RVE coordinated with the Willingboro Fire Department and the Contractor to ensure that the department’s exit from the existing station and relocation to the temporary location was seamless. This included the coordination of temporary storage structure for the Fire Departments apparatus vehicles, equipment, furnishings and communication systems
Prior to award, the project was estimated nearly $3M over the Township’s allotted construction budget. RVE collaborated with the design team and prospective bidders to reduce the overall construction cost. Constructability and value engineering reviews were completed and modifications to the plans and specified materials were made to reduce the overall cost without sacrificing a single square foot of the overall building footprint.
The new Fire and EMS station was built on a larger footprint, and the two-story design creates plenty of space for essential areas such as sleeping quarters, more bathrooms/shower rooms and administrative offices.