July 10, 2023

BNB finishes 2 Bothell fire stations

Photos from BNBuilders [enlarge]

Station 45 houses a satellite police office.

BNBuilders reports it has finished construction on a package of two replacement fire stations in Bothell. They are Station 42 at 10726 Beardslee Blvd. in downtown, and Station 45 at 1608 217th Place S.E. in Canyon Park.

Both stations have apparatus bays, living quarters, equipment pressurization and decontamination spaces, and maintenance facilities. Station 42 is 19,100 square feet and also has a large training classroom that can become an emergency command center. Station 45 is 13,700 square feet and also houses a satellite police office so that the Bothell Police Department can better serve north end residents.

Both stations have a number of design features that comply with the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters' “Healthy In, Healthy Out” manual. These features include dedicated hand and boot wash stations, specialty ventilation and dehumidification systems, and nonporous, nontoxic materials. These and other features, such as providing dedicated areas for training and recovery, allow the buildings to support firefighter wellness.

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Station 42 has a large training classroom that can become an emergency command center.

“Unfortunately for firefighters, the outcomes associated with working in harsher, highly toxic environments are not all positive,” says Jerry Hughes, deputy chief of operations, in a news release. “Our firefighters are unnecessarily exposed to carcinogens. Recent data indicates that the products of combustion of the modern-day fuel loads we face are killing firefighters at an alarming rate. In the Bothell Fire Department (BFD) alone, several firefighters have either battled or succumbed to cancer. In light of this tragic scenario, the importance of having design features from ‘Healthy in, Healthy Out' in place for BFD is evident.”

BNB built the stations under a $38 million progressive design-build collaboration with The Miller Hull Partnership, OAC Services and the city of Bothell. This delivery method was chosen due to the complexity of the scope, anticipated sequencing and phasing challenges, cost predictability, and to maintain operations during construction.

The program included design and construction of two temporary facilities to minimize impacts to ongoing operations and maintain emergency response times while the new stations were being built. BNB says numerous options and sites were analyzed, with Station 45 presenting the most challenge due to limited space on the existing site. Ultimately, a temporary structure was built next to Station 42, and BFD partnered with a neighboring jurisdiction to share a fire station in the vicinity of Station 45.

Funding for nearly all of the project is coming from the 2018 voter-approved Safe and Secure Bond, worth $35.5 million. The $2.5 million balance is coming from future fire impact fees. The city says the stations should last 50 years.