The purpose of any fire department is to safeguard the welfare of their community by properly responding to emergencies. But faced with the inability to house larger equipment and a staff of increasing size and diversity, the Maplewood Fire Department struggled to meet that mission within their existing building.

SSP Architects and Maplewood Township worked together to explore the possibility of expanding the existing firehouse facilities as a way to meet the current and long-term needs of their community. The primary objective included a comprehensive assessment of the current firehouse, an evaluation of the operational requirements, a site and zoning analysis, and financial feasibility.

The study identified critical deficiencies in terms of housing modern firefighting equipment, providing adequate living quarters for personnel, and accommodating necessary training facilities. To address these challenges, SSP’s recommendations included a carefully planned expansion that optimized the existing site while adhering to local zoning regulations and blended the expansion with the existing architecture.

SSP ultimately developed a plan that could be implemented over a series of phases to manage the cost and minimize the tax impact to the community.