City of Goodyear
15,648 SF
CMAR
Prime Architect in Association with CR architecture + design
March 2021
$8.1M
Project Director
Project Manager
Designed to address the rising cancer rates among firefighters due to hazardous material exposure, Goodyear Fire Station No. 181 employs a strategic zoned layout to manage contaminants.
The layout separates areas into high (hot), medium (warm), and low (cold) hazard zones, minimizing carcinogen transfer as firefighters move through the building. This arrangement effectively minimizes the transfer of carcinogens as firefighters move within the station. A dedicated decontamination corridor allows firefighters to decontaminate their turnout gear immediately upon returning to the station, and a strategically designed vestibule separates the “clean” (living) side the “dirty” (operational) side of the station.
Enhancing this safety-first approach further, the station boasts a spacious rear apron canopy for apparatus wash-downs and provides direct access to a decontamination room from the outside. Advanced building systems are also in place to ensure that living spaces remain contaminant-free.
Apparatus bays are equipped with state-of-the-art extraction systems and negative pressure vestibules that act as airlocks, ensuring a safe environment free from harmful contaminants.
Additionally, built-in training features allow firefighters to hone their skills on-site, providing convenience and cost savings. While off-site training remains important, these tools enhance preparedness and safety for both crews and the community.
Recognized with the 2022 Station Design Award by Firehouse Magazine, Goodyear Fire Station 181 exemplifies our commitment to health, safety, and innovative fire station design.
Goodyear Fire Station No. 181 is a 15,648-square-foot fire station completed in March 2021. It was designed with firefighter health as a central priority, employing a strategic zoned layout specifically intended to reduce firefighter exposure to hazardous materials and carcinogens linked to rising cancer rates in the profession.
The station uses a three-zone layout — high (hot), medium (warm), and low (cold) hazard areas — to control the movement of contaminants as firefighters move through the building. A dedicated decontamination corridor allows firefighters to clean their turnout gear immediately upon returning from a call, before entering the living areas. A vestibule separates the clean living side of the station from the operational side, and negative pressure vestibules in the apparatus bays function as airlocks to keep contaminants contained.
The station features a rear apron canopy for apparatus wash-downs before vehicles re-enter the bays, a decontamination room accessible directly from the exterior, an extraction system in the apparatus bays, and advanced building systems that keep living spaces contaminant-free. These features work together as a system rather than as isolated elements, creating a comprehensive approach to protecting firefighter health.
Station 181 established the foundational principles and physical design strategies that were then refined and applied in Goodyear Fire Station No. 181, completed the following year. Together, the two stations represent an evolving body of work in firefighter health-focused design.
DFDG Architecture served as architect in association with CR Architects for Station 181, building on its ongoing partnership with the City of Goodyear and the firefighter health-focused expertise developed through the design of Station 186.