The 2024 Firehouse Station Design Awards will recognize exceptional achievements in fire station design and construction, celebrating the innovative work of architects and fire departments. Celebrate excellence, sustainability, and functionality in fire station design as we showcase the best in the field.

Your station design entry will appear in our November issue and be seen by more than 474,000 chiefs, officers, manufacturers, and fire service personnel. The annual Station Design Awards issue is a valuable source of ideas and innovations for the fire service’s primary influencers and governing bodies.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be acknowledged as a leader in fire station design and receive national recognition for your firm and your client.

Projects must have been completed since Jan. 1, 2020. Judges have requested only completed projects be submitted, as renderings are subject to change during approvals, budget adjustments, and final construction.

The awards will recognize superlative work in seven categories:

Career Stations 1 – Over 15,000-sq.-ft. facilities staffing full-time fire and emergency personnel

Career Stations 2 – Under 15,000-sq.-ft. facilities staffing full-time fire and emergency personnel

Satellite Stations – Additional stations apart from headquarters or main offices

Volunteer/Combination Stations – Facilities staffed by a blend of career and volunteer members

Joint Facilities – Fire and emergency response facilities shared with other agencies or organizations, such as police, training facilities or local government offices

Station Renovations – Facilities that are redesigned, re-purposed or upgraded

Training Facilities – Designated fire and emergency response facilities for training

Sure it is an investment of time and effort to enter your design and construction in the 2024 Firehouse Station Design Awards program, but it is time well spent. Below are just a few of the many benefits associated with entering this year’s reviews program.

BENEFIT 1: BE RECOGNIZED
Honorees have made a groundbreaking contribution to the fire service community. They are recognized as leaders and innovators to the largest collection of fire service professionals, with coverage in Firehouse Magazine as well as on firehouse.com.

BENEFIT 2: INCREASE CREDIBILITY
Being an honoree is validation of your design and construction from a credible third party to the fire service community. It’s a great way to reinforce the quality of your design and construction to existing customers as well as potential customers.

BENEFIT 3: GAIN A SALES ADVANTAGE
Being recognized with a 2024 Firehouse Station Design Award is an additional tool for your sales team to use as part of their sales pitch. Companies recognized with this prestigious distinction can better compete for business since recognized honorees are less risky for potential customers.

BENEFIT 4: SET YOURSELF APART
Honorees rise above the competition and instantly tell the fire service community their design and construction has something unique and worthy of review.

BENEFIT 5: IT’S GREAT PR
Fully capitalize on your successful entry with announcements that grow your visibility in the industry. We even provide a press release template to use to promote your honoree status.

BENEFIT 6: STOCK YOUR TROPHY CABINET
Top honorees are the proud recipients of a coveted 2024 Firehouse Station Design Award to be highlighted at your booth during industry shows and then showcased in your company lobby. You’ll also be able to use the 2024 Firehouse Station Design Award logo on your website and marketing literature to reinforce your success.

How to Submit

Creating an Account

• Login or create your account here.
• After you have created your account, you’ll be prompted to submit your entry.
• If you are interrupted and don’t have time to complete your entry, it will be saved as IN PROGRESS until you have time to complete it. If you forgot your password, click “lost password.” Any required fields that are not filled in will be highlighted in red when you hit SAVE.
• When your entry is complete, click ADD TO CART.
• At this point, you can either ENTER ANOTHER SUBMISSION or CHECKOUT.
• At CHECKOUT, submit your credit card details and click PROCESS (Only click PROCESS one time!).

Troubleshooting Your Electronic Entry

PROBLEM: I keep hitting SAVE but my entry is not saving.
Try This: Review your entry and confirm any required field is filled in or checked.

PROBLEM: I did NOT receive a confirmation email after submitting my entry.
Confirm you entered an accurate email address.
Confirmation emails are sent once payment is submitted.

Selection Process
Each Firehouse Station Design Awards Entry Should Address the Following:

• How your design and construction help customers meet their objectives, reduce operational expenses, and/or develop new revenue sources.
• The unique features of this design and construction as it compares to competing solutions.

Judges Will Review Your Entry Based on the Following Criteria:

• Originality
• Innovation
• Positive impact on the customer
• How well it addresses a new or existing requirement
• Novelty of approach
• Cost-effectiveness

Make Sure to Include the Following in Your Judges Packet:

• A spec sheet – detailing the parameters the product or service is designed to meet.
• A brief technical description of how the product works.
• A photo or photos.
• Please Note: No more than 5 extra pages of documentation, including spec sheets, are allowed. Pictures, diagrams, and/or charts do not count toward your 5 pages.

Optional Items to Consider:

• Testimonials by users.
• Simple brief that summarizes the ability of this design, and how it differentiates itself from the competition.
• Photos and diagrams, particularly block diagrams or flow charts that help describe how the design of the facility meets customer needs.

We want your entry to be as powerful and impressive as possible. Here are a few tips that will let the judges see your entry in the most favorable light.

• Block time out on your calendar. Map out some time on your schedule so you can focus on your entry.
• Use specific, quantitative, and instantly credible language. Avoid the urge to just copy and paste the text from your marketing collateral or website.
• Be sure to answer the following questions about the facility’s design and construction. How does your expertise/experience help customers meet their objectives? How does it reduce operational expenses. What are the unique features of the facility as it compares to competing solutions? What makes it innovative?
• Get input from the design and construction team. Coworkers at your company can help provide specific examples of how the development impacts the fire service community.
• Download a preview of the entry form and compile your answers before completing the online entry. Once you’ve compiled your data, review your draft and confirm it demonstrates one of the following criteria: originality, innovation, positive impact on the customer, how well it addresses a new or existing requirement, novelty of approach, and cost-effectiveness.
• Back up your claims with supporting evidence, such as charts, tables, or testimonials. Make it as easy as possible for the judges to look at your entry in the most favorable light.
• Call or email if we can help!

Submission Rates

When do I need to submit my entry?
Final entries are due July 12, 2024 before 11:59 PM EST.

What if my design won’t be announced before the deadline?
As long as it will be introduced by the beginning of November 2024, it still qualifies. (subject to change based on program year)

My design won’t be announced until after the July entry deadline. How do you ensure confidentiality?
Our judges, program director, and staff are under strict instructions not to share the details of unannounced facilities with their coworkers or anyone else. Additionally, we take pains to ensure in all cases that entries are not judged by employees of competitive companies.

Worried about non-disclosure agreements?
If you have an application that you would like to submit, but are worried that a non-disclosure agreement will prevent you from doing so, feel free to refer to the parties involved in general terms.

When will we find out if we are a finalist?
Honorees for the program will be notified in the fourth quarter of 2024

Do you have a question about whether your project or application would be a worthy entrant?
Reach out on questions like these and any others by contacting us.