New Fire Station on Constant Alert - Co Monaghan residents can rest easy in their beds

A brand new, state of the art, Fire station  and HQ was handed over to Monaghan Fire Authority by vanDijk Architects last week.  The culmination of five years of planning, appraisal, tendering and construction phases, this is a significant civic building for the area which aims to set the standard for future development.

The innovative, forward tilting design of the building, demonstrates how a utilitarian building, which must perform with the utmost of efficiency, can incorporate cutting edge design and innovative features.  A striking and artistic element to the building is the contemporary design of the drill tower. It houses a steel staircase and is typically used by Fire Brigade personnel for practice drills. The imaginative use of Graepel cladding – a perforated metal mesh building material – makes this staircase visible from the outside.

According to Jan van Dijk, CEO of van Dijk Architects:

“Our aim was to create a visually appealing, low maintenance building which will be a landmark for Monaghan town. The unusual tilt of the front façade of this new Fire Station expresses the readiness of the fire brigade to respond quickly and efficiently to an emergency which is key to the design. The brief included specifications necessary for the efficient and professional functioning of a fire station and we also had to consider issues in the design such as traffic management and ease of access for the public, while being sympathetic to its surroundings. We believe the quality of this building design will set a precedent for future development on this new stretch of road.”

Costing a total of €2m, the new Fire station embraces best practice and international standards. It houses a host of key elements demanded of a modern fire station including: Six appliance bays, Crew Muster area, Equipment Storage area, (for cleaning, servicing, testing) a Drying Room and a Training area.  The six appliance bays cater for two frontline water tenders, 1 emergency tender, 1 hydraulic platform, 1 control unit and 1 jeep. The new building is also the Fire station Headquarters for the county and has offices for the Fire Authority administrative staff along with lecture rooms and training areas.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Dermot Brannigan said:

“The aim of this project was to provide a new Fire Station for Monaghan Town and a new Fire Service Headquarters for Monaghan County Council. Critically, Monaghan Fire Authority aims to ensure an efficient service delivery and therefore, the primary function of the new Station is to facilitate the speedy and effective response of the Fire Service to the needs of the people of north Monaghan and surrounding counties. The new station will also cater for the demanding training requirement of a modern fire service.  We believe that this building will inspire confidence in the local community and an assurance that the Fire service is in a state of permanent readiness to serve their needs.”

Monaghan Fire Service responds to approx 170 emergency calls per annum. The new fire station is indicative of the strong forward looking culture which has been a driving force for development in Monaghan town. Located at Annahagh, the station provides emergency fire cover to North County Monaghan (an area of approx 169 sq miles) between counties Armagh Tyrone and Fermanagh and is also the backup resource for the rest of the county.

A brand new, state of the art, Fire station  and HQ was handed over to Monaghan Fire Authority by vanDijk Architects last week.  The culmination of five years of planning, appraisal, tendering and construction phases, this is a significant civic building for the area which aims to set the standard for future development.

The innovative, forward tilting design of the building, demonstrates how a utilitarian building, which must perform with the utmost of efficiency, can incorporate cutting edge design and innovative features.  A striking and artistic element to the building is the contemporary design of the drill tower. It houses a steel staircase and is typically used by Fire Brigade personnel for practice drills. The imaginative use of Graepel cladding – a perforated metal mesh building material – makes this staircase visible from the outside.

According to Jan van Dijk, CEO of van Dijk Architects:

“Our aim was to create a visually appealing, low maintenance building which will be a landmark for Monaghan town. The unusual tilt of the front façade of this new Fire Station expresses the readiness of the fire brigade to respond quickly and efficiently to an emergency which is key to the design. The brief included specifications necessary for the efficient and professional functioning of a fire station and we also had to consider issues in the design such as traffic management and ease of access for the public, while being sympathetic to its surroundings. We believe the quality of this building design will set a precedent for future development on this new stretch of road.”

Costing a total of €2m, the new Fire station embraces best practice and international standards. It houses a host of key elements demanded of a modern fire station including: Six appliance bays, Crew Muster area, Equipment Storage area, (for cleaning, servicing, testing) a Drying Room and a Training area.  The six appliance bays cater for two frontline water tenders, 1 emergency tender, 1 hydraulic platform, 1 control unit and 1 jeep. The new building is also the Fire station Headquarters for the county and has offices for the Fire Authority administrative staff along with lecture rooms and training areas.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Dermot Brannigan said:

“The aim of this project was to provide a new Fire Station for Monaghan Town and a new Fire Service Headquarters for Monaghan County Council. Critically, Monaghan Fire Authority aims to ensure an efficient service delivery and therefore, the primary function of the new Station is to facilitate the speedy and effective response of the Fire Service to the needs of the people of north Monaghan and surrounding counties. The new station will also cater for the demanding training requirement of a modern fire service.  We believe that this building will inspire confidence in the local community and an assurance that the Fire service is in a state of permanent readiness to serve their needs.”

Monaghan Fire Service responds to approx 170 emergency calls per annum. The new fire station is indicative of the strong forward looking culture which has been a driving force for development in Monaghan town. Located at Annahagh, the station provides emergency fire cover to North County Monaghan (an area of approx 169 sq miles) between counties Armagh Tyrone and Fermanagh and is also the backup resource for the rest of the county.