Goodnight Ranch Fire/EMS Station, Austin, TX
New Fire/EMS Stations Built to Improve Emergency Response Times
In 2018, the City of Austin Fire Department released a study detailing multiple areas experiencing significant development and increased population that the city failed to respond to in under eight minutes.
In May 2018, the Austin City Council passed a Resolution to develop a plan to fund and build five new fire/EMS stations in six years to serve them. Goodnight Ranch was one of the areas identified. In February 2023, Austin Public Works, the Austin Fire Department, and Austin-Travis County EMS broke ground and, in early 2024, completed Goodnight Ranch joint Fire/EMS station, the fourth of the five high-priority stations. The fifth station, Canyon Creek, was completed after Goodnight Ranch.
“Our goal is to respond to those we serve in eight minutes or less, 90 percent of the time,” said Fire Chief Joel G. Baker. “This latest addition to the public safety fabric of this community is an exciting development as we get closer to our goal of completing five new stations in six years.”
Builder:
Architect:
PGAL, Austin, Texas
Location:
Austin, Texas
Year:
2024
Photographer:
Mike Watson
Product:
Colors:
Swisspearl Carat Onyx 7091, Crystal 7010, Azurite 7040, Azurite 7041, Coral 7030, Coral 7031, Sahara 7001, Reflex Silver 4111, Cobalt 9241, and Crimson 9231
Goodnight Ranch Station Built to Serve for 50+ Years
The 15,200 sq.-ft. Goodnight Ranch fire/EMS station features four pull-through apparatus bays, training stairs, 11 fire dorms, four EMS dorms, a common day room, outdoor dining, a kitchen, and a gym. The building features punch windows and colorful, transparent garage doors that allow people to see the parked trucks.
The expected life span for each station is at least 50 years. PGAL designed all five stations.
Jason Beiter, JE Dunn Construction’s vice president and director of construction operations in Austin, provided an update on the construction program. “This program has been very successful,” he said, “This program is the first utilization of design-build procurement by the city. The city set it up for success because they hired an architectural firm to provide a design criteria manual that defined the programmatic parameters for different design options.”
“The plan for excavation was significantly different for each station,” he said. The Loop 360/Davenport station site was largely built on a rock bed. Goodnight Ranch was built on expansive soil. Equipment has been crucial for several aspects of the work. Excavators, including Cat models, were used to prepare the site for the foundation. Rollers helped to flatten the ground, and Dynapac motor graders helped prepare the ground. Standard pieces of equipment were used for pouring concrete, and man lifts and boom lifts, such as JLG 450SJ boom lifts, were used during construction. The Goodnight Ranch foundation is a structural slab on drilled piers to mitigate expansion over the life of the building.
The exterior cladding, Swisspearl high-density fiber cement panels in ten colors, is virtually maintenance-free and backed by the longest warranties in the industry. The through-color panels never need painting, are non-combustible, and UV resistant for color fastness.
The apparatus bay on the right side is a single story, while the left side, with the dorms and other facilities, is two stories. The apparatus bay approach is a 10-inch-thick slab so it can support the vehicle load.
Between 50 and 75 skilled workers constructed Goodnight Ranch, similar to the other stations. Depending on the complexity of the site work, each station is approximately a 12-month construction. The team strengthened its work processes and built on lessons learned. “The efforts of the crews have been great,” Beiter added. “Our trade partners understand these buildings will help citizens and save lives, so there is a personal connection for each one of these stations. Their crews take a great sense of pride and ownership, as well as their craftsmanship.”
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Citations
- City breaks ground on the Goodnight Ranch Joint Fire/EMS Station
- AFD opens new multimillion dollar fire, EMS station at Goodnight Ranch
- City breaks ground on fourth new joint fire-EMS station in southeast Austin
- Swisspearl architectural panels – Element Architectural Products
- JE Dunn Building Austin’s New Joint Fire/EMS Station