The new 19,400-square-foot Fire Crash Rescue Station at Key Field will support the military firefighters’ mission to provide fire protection to the flight lines and facilities at the 186th Air Refueling Wing at the Mississippi Air National Guard Base in Meridian, Mississippi. The building will be a functional partner in the firefighters’ mission and a noble, emblematic figure sitting alongside the aircraft it protects. The building features key operational spaces on both its west and east sides. On the west side, a twelve-vehicle apparatus bay houses ARFF heavy-duty emergency response vehicles, alongside medium- and light-duty emergency vehicles and trailers. Flanking the bay are gear cleaning and storage areas equipped with specialized resources. The east side of the site contains the inhabited areas, including fifteen office and dorm units, shared living and dining spaces, a training classroom, and men’s and women’s locker rooms that double as a tornado shelter. A dispatch and alarm room extends from the south wall, offering panoramic views of both runways. Additionally, a separate three-story training tower for rappelling and other exercises is located to the north of the facility.
Duvall Decker was assisted by Engineering Resource Group, Inc., Jon D. Rice & Associates, Spencer-Engineers Inc., and Allen Engineering & Science.
