Dorm, Cube or Private?
As more volunteer fire departments contemplate hiring full-time firefighters, the question of sleeping arrangements frequently turns into a heated debate. Dormitories, shared cubes (with or without doors) and individual rooms each have pros and cons.
Each year, Station Style Design Award judges have lengthy discussions about sleeping quarters. The arguments against dormitory-style arrangements include excessive snoring, flatulence and sleep interruptions by tones for different crews. Others protest private rooms because of the potential for inappropriate behavior or isolation in a station.
Just when I thought the trend appeared to be moving away from the dormitory-style arrangement to cubes that allow for central ventilation systems, I visited a several new stations that have private sleep rooms — one bed, three lockers — and individual vents and warning systems, as well as multiple unisex bathrooms.
Daniel Redstone of Redstone Architects has raised a question about “hot” beds versus individual beds. A hot bed is one bed per firefighter per shift; three shift firefighters would use the same bed and either bring or store their own bedding for their shift, compared to individual beds that would mean one bed for each firefighter assigned to a station. In North Carolina, each sleeping room had three beds with personalized shelves above each headboard assigned to each firefighter that rotated through the station.
“In a large station — say 10 suppression firefighters on duty at one time — 10 hot beds with separate bedding storage take a lot less space than 30 individual beds,” Redstone said.
Cost and space frequently dictate what a department can afford and culture will dictate what works for the department and personnel. Redstone said that one suburban combination department he is working with has five fire stations, each with three or four firefighters working 12-hour shifts.
“While this works for their town, it also saves money on sleeping quarters,” he said.
Bathrooms, showers and toilet facilities fall into the same debate, with a slight increase in additional, but smaller shower/toilet rooms and designated unisex to accommodate gender issues.
How does your department handle the sleeping quarters? Would you change your current sleeping quarter arrangement and if you could, what would you select?
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
My paid department has individual rooms and we have hot beds with 2 closets (24 on/24 off at the moment). Our old bunkroom up until July had walls that ran only to within 2 feet of the ceiling, and you could hear snoring or people talking on phones, or have lights lighting up the rooms next to them while people we trying to sleep. Also, with the need for some of the guys to sleep in 40 degree temps, some of us now have the option of dampening the AC or heat vents to better regulate our private rooms. It just makes for a better quality sleep time.
November 24th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Janet,
I enjoy reading your articles every month and Fire Chief magazine as a whole. This is the first time I have expressed my opinion in this type of forum. I am a municipal chief of a small mostly career department in North Carolina. I agree that their are pros & cons for for each of the sleeping arrangements mentioned. However, I as well as several other chiefs in my area are in favor of the traditional open dorm style bunk room. It is definately cheaper to build and does eliminate the question of what is going on behind the closed doors of individual bunk rooms. I definately understand the issues regarding snooring, flatulence, etc. from being on a shift for many years. However, I believe in eliminating a problem before it starts. Although most departments have policies regarding who is and isn’t allowed in sleeping quarters; I am aware of a situiation in which accusations were made regarding a department which had individual accomendations for their firefighters. It involved inappropriate conduct with spouses as well as girl/boy friends. Once the issue came to light, two shift captains were questioned by adminstration about why they had not enforced department policy regarding who had access to sleeping quarters; their response was essentially, that once they closed the door to their bunk room and went to sleep, that unless they had a call, that they were unaware of anything else taking place in the station. You would hope that employees would do the right thing, that they would follow the rules, but unfortunately in this case a few ruined it for everyone. A chief at another department told me that when they went to individual bunk rooms, his shifts stopped being as cohesive as they once were. After 7pm. his firefighters pretty much went to their own rooms and did their own thing. It is may opinion (for what its worth) that an open dorm sleeping arrangement, where everyone knows what everyone else is doing, is the best way to go. Someone snoring or passing gas at the station doesn’t make headlines, however sex in the fire station whether true or untrue; can have lasting repercussions that far outweigh firefighter comfort.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Janet,
Our station which was built in 2003 and was a 2004 Notable Design Award winner, and the issue of types of sleeping quarters was definitely a hot issue. All of the issues that you pointed out were high on the list of arguments for individual dorm rooms shared by a member of each shift. We however found another issue during our research into our design.
We visited a number of new stations and in talking with the firefighters they all loved the individual rooms. But when we talked with the Captain, Lieutenant or the shift supervisor we got a different story. What we learned from those in charge of the station that had this type of dormitory is that they believed that the teamwork of the shift had been compromised.
The reason that they believed that this occurred was related to the fact that after the daily shift duties were completed, the firefighters went to their dorm rooms and never integrated with the rest of the shift. Other than coming out for dinner, there was a decrease in the time the troops spent together. Little to no information was shared during the down time and lesson learned between more senior firefighters and younger firefighters were not being passed on.
We considered all of our options and came up with a different solution by creating an open dormitory style room with six and half foot snore walls. These wall were insulated to absorb noise and as was the carpeting and ceiling tiles. This approached saved us thousands of dollars by eliminating the need to by doors, add HVAC, Electrical systems, smoke detector, sprinkler systems and all the other items that go into a single room.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
We have utilized the hot bed design since 199 for eight stations. The room has no door, and the walls are actually the lockers, which stop short of the ceiling. The “open” concept does not require individual temp controls in each space, as the air flow it open above the lockers. The lockers help with the sound transmission between beds and a curtain in place of a door reduces/eliminates the inappropriate behavior issues as there is no true privacy. The department really likes this arrangement, and we plan on designing three more stations in the next four years to be of the same design. While this works well for this department and culture, we understand that it is really an individual departments preference. What works here will not always work in another department.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
We have utilized the hot bed design since 1995 for eight stations. The room has no door, and the walls are actually the lockers, which stop short of the ceiling. The “open” concept does not require individual temp controls in each space, as the air flow it open above the lockers. The lockers help with the sound transmission between beds and a curtain in place of a door reduces/eliminates the inappropriate behavior issues as there is no true privacy. The department really likes this arrangement, and we plan on designing three more stations in the next four years to be of the same design. While this works well for this department and culture, we understand that it is really an individual departments preference. What works here will not always work in another department.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
The problem of isolation or firefighters going into their individual rooms at the end of the day is viewed as a problem in some departments we know. Frequently I wonder how many are studying, online or reading. Teamwork and socializing is important, but the de-stressing factor in the evening also has merit.
Personally, I don’t watch television more than a couple hours each week and I’d go bonkers if I had to sit in a recliner and watch t.v. to be considered part of a team.
November 25th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
We have assigned beds for the permanent FF at each station. The floaters share one bed when assigned to that station. With the increased news about bed bugs and other creatures on the mattresses I wonder if it is healthy to share a bed. Also with females joining in having seperate closed sleeping areas in the bunk room is needed. I like the ability to go to a “room” to be able to read or unwind after a long day. I believe seperate beds are healthier and promote a happier FF.
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