Page 29 - Bernardon Emergency Services Statement of Qualifications

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community amenities be considered in station
design? The answer to both is: absolutely
not. Accommodations for multi-use space in
station design can contribute significantly to
maintaining a core group of career staff and
volunteers in hunker-down situations like the
one we are currently facing. These spaces are the
heart and soul of the company at times when we
are not plagued by, well, the plague. With the
stay-at-home requirements that have altered
our business life, fire and EMS companies should
consider the transitional use of training rooms,
banquet halls, and other under-utilized social
spaces to permit its members to be present
on site with all of the amenities of a home
office. These co-work spaces would allow some
members to conduct business with the much-
desired benefit of being emergency responsive.

As President of Broomall Fire Station, Jim
Capuzzi notes there is a concern about not
having fire and EMS personnel showing up at
the station, and there is always that lingering
concern that a temporary withdraw from
actively participating at the station can become a company and the health of their surrounding
a future habit. However, he also pointed out community. Safely maintaining the presence
that several high school and college students of these brave men and women on site by
who complete their daily studies are arriving improving accommodations and amenities will
at the station to be present and social while improve their response to our communities at
respecting the social distancing protocols set times when we are most desperately in need of
up at the station. Activity in the fitness room these heroes.
-- under social distancing protocols -- has also
increased since all public fitness facilities have
been shuttered. DREAM.

Tremendous attention needs to be given to DESIGN.
the creation of healthy indoor environments
stations. This attention is critical to the life of SUCCEED.
that improve comfort, encourage participation,
and reinforce fellowship within Fire and EMS

BERNARDON | Fire and EMS Station Design: Making Accommodations for First Responders in a Pandemic Page 3