Privacy in the Modern Firehouse – Part 2

By Candice Wong

In the first article of this three-part series, we began to explore privacy issues that are common in the modern

firehouse. We took an in-depth look at the sleeping room component of the firefighter living quarters and

looked at several different approaches to the design and layout of these spaces.

In this second article, we will

build on solutions for

providing gender privacy in the

restrooms and delve into ideas

for wardrobe lockers in the

firefighter living quarters. We

will look at these spaces and

share the pros and cons of

“gender specific”, “neutral” and

“friendly” options.

Firefighter Restrooms and

Locker Facilities

One of the first steps in the

design process with regard to

restrooms is determining the

number of plumbing fixtures

(sinks, toilets, urinals, etc.)

needed for the anticipated number of men and women users for the building. The minimum required number

of plumbing fixtures is determined by the current building and plumbing codes. We will discuss this topic in

more detail in the third and final article.

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on operational considerations for the design and layout of these

spaces. Just like in determining the best solution for the firefighter sleeping quarters, the design of

restrooms and the location and layout for the wardrobe lockers should be based upon your department goals

and priorities. Some items to consider are:

• How many firefighters will work in the fire station on a daily basis at full capacity?

• Will firefighters shower prior to shift change? If so, consider the typical number of users. • Will this station be used for staging during emergency events? • Is your station designated as a secondary Emergency Operations Center (EOC)?

• Provide one wardrobe locker per assigned firefighter (ex.: 5 firefighters per shift x 3 shifts =

15 lockers).

• Consider adding wardrobe lockers for relief firefighters or trainees.

• Most modern wardrobe lockers are 2 to 2.5 feet wide x 2 feet deep x 7 feet high.

Again, it is important to recognize and work with a solution that will best meet your department’s current

and future operational needs.

Continued

San Jose (CA) Fire Station 34

This article originally ran in the April 2011 issue of the iWomen member newsletter FireWork.

Page 2 FireWork

www.i-women.org

Gender Specific Restrooms

and Locker Rooms

Along with gender-specific

dormitories, or gender-neutral

bunk rooms, your department

can choose to implement as

part of your renovation or new

fire station gender-specific

restrooms and locker rooms.

As explored previously in the

first article, the difficulty with

gender specific spaces is that

you have to determine the ex-

act number of men and

women firefighters. Once the

operationally needed number

of lockers and plumbing fix-

tures for each gender has been

determined, design and layout

of these spaces can com-

mence.

As an example, there are a

number of fire departments in

large metropolitan areas that

run two to three crews in one fire

station per shift. These facilities

need to accommodate a large

number of firefighters as well as

fluctuating men and women ratios

on a daily basis. For this reason,

these departments have chosen to

provide equal number of plumb-

ing fixtures in each restroom. This

means that restrooms for men

and women each have the same

number of toilets, sinks and

showers. In the case of the men’s

restroom, the number of toilets

may be reduced to accommodate

urinals.

In the design of the locker rooms,

these departments have elected to

provide a reasonable split to the

total locker count needed per op-

erations, based on their current

and anticipated men and women

crew ratios. As an example, if a

total of 60 lockers are needed for

the fire station to accommodate

all shifts, then 70% of the lockers

would be located in the men’s

locker room and 30% of the lock-

ers in the women’s locker room.

Many times these locker rooms

are designed to have an expan-

sion space in between them or

have a common wall to provide

flexibility and the ability to adjust

the number of lockers in each

locker room.

Gender-Neutral Restrooms

Many fire stations designed today

have gender-neutral restrooms.

These restrooms are located in

close proximity to the sleeping

quarters, whether they are dormi-

tories or bunk rooms.

The individual style restrooms are

very compact, efficient, and can

help save square footage.

Continued

Gender Specific Rest-

rooms & Locker Rooms

Gender Specific Rest-

rooms & Locker Rooms

www.i-women.org

Each gender neu-

tral restroom in-

cludes space for

one lavatory, one

toilet and one

shower with a

bench. In some

designs, we have

seen the incorpo-

ration of small

hygiene lockers

for toiletries ei-

ther within the

restroom or in a

bank of lockers

immediately out-

side of the rest-

room location.

The number of

these single occu-

pancy restrooms

are based on the

crew size and the

frequency of use.

Many depart-

ments prefer this

style of restroom

as it allows a firefighter to

shower and change in the

same space.

Wardrobe Lockers

Associated with Sleeping

Quarters

When the wardrobe lockers

are located within or a part

of the bunk rooms or dor-

mitory spaces, configura-

tion and size of the lockers

can drive how they are in-

corporated into the project.

Wardrobe lockers can be

designed as part of an indi-

vidual bunk room, a double

bunk room, or a gender-

specific dormitory. There

should be a minimum of

three lockers for each bed.

Adding a fourth wardrobe

locker would allow the de-

partment the flexibility to give

vacation relief or trainees a place

to store their personal gear while

on duty. This fourth locker, since

it is intended for temporary per-

sonnel to the fire station, can be

smaller if space is tight. In the

next article, we will discuss best

practices for locker and locker

room ventilation.

The “Gender Friendly” Solution

The “gender friendly” solution to

the sleeping quarters is one of the

newer design solutions being im-

plemented in new and renovated

fire stations. A firefighter would

have complete privacy for dress-

ing, for use of the restroom, and

for sleeping.

Continued

Gender Neutral Restrooms Rooms

Gender Neutral Restrooms

www.i-women.org

This solution provides each fire-

fighter with a dedicated single

occupancy bunk room with ward-

robe lockers and a connected sin-

gle occupancy restroom. These

individual sleeping units are very

compact, efficient, and can help

save square footage. Like the gen-

der “neutral”, these restrooms in-

clude space for one lavatory, one

toilet and one shower with a

bench. Many departments prefer

this style of sleeping unit as it

provides complete privacy.

In the San Jose (CA) example

shown in the first article, the lock-

ers have access on the bunk room

side as well as the hallway side to

provide flexibility for on-coming

crews to access their gear prior to

shift change.

Regardless of which restroom,

locker room, or sleeping room is

selected for use in your facility,

from an operational standpoint,

they should all work together as a

complete unit for the sleeping

quarters. As mentioned, the living

spaces for the fire-

fighters should be

comfortable and offer

privacy, as a fire sta-

tion is not only a

work place, but a

home as well. Solu-

tions should be

based on the specific

operational needs of

your department and

it is important to

identify your depart-

ment’s current and

future goals and en-

gage your firefighters

in the process.

In the third and final

article, we will wrap

up this series with a

review of how fire

operations, company

culture, best prac-

tices, standards and

building codes all

play into the solu-

tions for gender pri-

vacy.

Candice Wong special-

izes in the management

and implementation of

public safety projects at

RRM Design Group. She

works directly with fa-

cility owners and user

groups to understand,

develop, and meet their

operational goals,

needs, and maintenance

requirements.

Gender Friendly Solution

Gender Friendly Solution