Broadview Heights Fire Department Study

The engagement

What we did

The Center for Public Safety conducted a comprehensive space needs assessment for the Broadview Heights Fire Department, evaluating two aging fire stations relative to modern firefighting demands after decades of deferred capital investment. CPS used questionnaires, personnel interviews, and facility examinations to understand how spatial limitations translate into operational cost through overtime, equipment wear, and personnel injury. The study examined how evolving fire service standards reshape facility requirements, analyzing the shift from dormitory-style quarters to individual bunk rooms supporting gender integration, the implementation of hot zone and cool zone separation to protect firefighter health, and the equipment storage needed to maintain operational readiness. CPS projected spatial needs across 10- and 20-year horizons, identifying where strategic facility investment could reduce long-term operational cost through improved workflow efficiency, reduced equipment maintenance, and stronger personnel retention. The assessment produced a detailed cost-benefit analysis showing how a recommended $10.2 million facility investment would generate operational savings through reduced apparatus damage from proper storage, lower injury rates from adequate fitness facilities, improved recruitment and retention from modern living quarters, and enhanced response capability from properly configured apparatus bays.