With four antiquated Fire Department facilities no longer able to accommodate modern equipment, and Police and Rescue Squad Headquarters that were also cramped and inefficient, the Borough of Somerville commissioned SSP Architectural Group to perform a detailed Needs Assessment, Existing Facilities Analysis, Conceptual Facility Design and Master Plan. The goal of this Master Plan was to create a set of guidelines for a facility able to handle the requirements of today’s emergency service providers, as well as those to come over the next 100 years.

SSP evaluated the existing facilities supporting Somerville’s Emergency Services operations. These include the Somerville Police Department, First Aid and Rescue Squad and four Fire Department facilities; Lincoln Hose Company #4; Engine Company #1; Central Hook & Ladder #1; and the West End Hose Company #3 (a previous SSP project). During the facility assessment phase, the team interviewed police and fire personnel to identify and prioritize those space needs essential to the delivery of public safety services to the Borough.

Armed with this analysis of the Borough’s existing spaces, and the optimal space program for improved service delivery, the team developed a footprint. This footprint was used as a tool to evaluate existing available real estate, to determine feasibility for development. As a result of studying existing real estate availability, several options to accommodate the needs of the Police, Rescue Squad and Fire Departments were developed.