Surprise rescue oasis
Ariz.
Merit Award
Presented by Willmeng construction
owner City of surprise
Leading design company LEA Architects
General Contractor Willmeng construction
Civil Engineer Dibble Corp.
Water facilities engineer Aqua Design International
architect architect
Co-locating emergency services facilities with high-demand recreational facilities on a 19-acre site presented the project team with a unique coordination challenge, coupled with an aggressive two-year schedule that required overlapping design and construction phases. Plans for several key elements were only 60% complete when construction began, leading to evolving designs and budgets during construction.
Strong collaboration and meticulous attention to the selection and procurement of materials helped avoid delays, resulting in a unique and multi-faceted public service community asset. The fire station includes four apparatus compartments; a changing room for starting equipment; spaces dedicated to decontamination, equipment storage and emergency medical services; a bedroom; and a fitness room. It also houses the incident command center, which provides realistic virtual training simulations to improve the readiness of fire personnel, and a police substation for closer collaboration during major events.
On the recreational side, the swim center features a public pool with slides, a diving/warm-up pool, and a 50-meter, eight-lane competitive pool capable of hosting local and regional meets. Next to the pool is the Rescue Oasis Park, which offers a playground with climbing structures, a basketball court and a sand volleyball court. The splash pad features a fire truck-themed climbing structure with water features, tying in with the resort’s public safety theme.
