b'EMERGENCY OPERATIONS SMF 75personnel in mind, the new bays are equipped with a high-quality ventilation system for the extraction and filtration of polluted indoor air.In addition to housing ARFF personnel, the new facility also houses their equipment. Key pieces include: A 2019 Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 that holds3,000 gallons of water A 2009 Rosenbauer Panther 4x4 that holds1,500 gallons of waterA 2015 Rosenbauer Panther 4x4 that holds1,500 gallons of waterA 2019 Rosenbauer Type 1 engine that holds700 gallons of waterA 2021 Rosenbauer Type 3 engine that holds750 gallons of water and is used for fighting wildland fires A Chevy Tahoe battalion chief vehicle100% Funding The site where the new facility sits previously housed a Chevron airport fueling station. Crews razed that structure and excavated the contaminated soil in 2016 and part of 2017 to prepare the site for subsequent use. Miyoung An, associate engineer and architect for Sacramento County Department of Airports, notes that project designers considered expanding and renovating the existing ARFF facility. However, requirements for the new facility, including taller, deeper and larger For firefighters working 48-hour shifts, the ARFF station is a homeapparatus bays, made constructionMIYOUNG ANaway from home. In addition to responding to emergencies at theof a completely new structure more airport, crews from SMF occasionally help respond to wildland fires,appropriate.highway accidents and other incidents off the airport property. PreteThe new facility was designed by emphasizes that the airport administrations commitment to buildingLEA Architects, a Phoenix-based firm the $15.1 million facility is proof to his team how much their servicesthat has designed more than 150 fire are appreciated.stations and about one dozen ARFF Plans for the new facility had already been initiated and mostlyfacilities. Lance Enyart, a company approved when Prete joined SMFs emergency response team as aprincipal, notes that LEA was under an battalion chief in 2018. He was named interim chief in March 2021 andon-call contract with the airport for theLANCE ENYARTreceived the full title five months later. ARFF station and other projects. They started the process before I got here, but it was prettyThe airport received a $9.8 million obvious why a new facility was necessary, he relates. The size of thefederal grant for the new fire station and ARFF team had grown in lockstep with the airport itself over the lastsupplemented that with $5.3 million decade or more, but their station house did not. of Airport Enterprise funds. Because SMF is categorized as a medium-To call the living quarters in the old facility cramped would be asize airport, the project was eligible major understatement. The ARFF team has included male and femaleto receive reimbursement via an FAA members, yet the dormitory-like sleeping quarters lacked any semblanceAirport Improvement Program (AIP)KATHERINE SUTTONof privacy. The new facility has private sleeping quarters, a well- grant up to about 80% of allowable appointed kitchen and a large fitness and physical training room thatand eligible scope of the total project cost, with the airport opens to an outdoor space that provides even more workout options. paying the other 20%. Katherine Sutton, FAA coordinator The new fire and rescue station has seven south-facing bays, alland administrative services officer III at SMF, notes that the with full drive-through capability. With the health and safety of ARFFfederal grant was unique because it allowed the county to AirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2023'