Marion Fire Station earns FIERO award for putting fire fighters first
The new fire station and department headquarters received an Honor Award, Health and Wellness Award from the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization also known as FIERO.
For the 2024 Fire Station Design Awards Program, FIERO received twenty-two entries from seventeen architectural firms. The Jury awarded three Honor Awards, eight Merit Awards, and three Recognition Awards. FIERO is known throughout the fire service for high-quality educational conferences, regional workshops, and renowned fire-related research projects. Design awards are given for outstanding examples of major fire station projects, as well as for deactivated iconic fire stations that have been adapted to use for another purpose.
The two-level 21,200-square-foot fire station in a rapidly growing community reduces response time, establishes a strong and transparent civic presence, and uses biophilic design principles to support fire fighters physical and mental wellness
The implementation of biophilic principles is having a profound effect on the fire fighter’s wellbeing at the Marion Fire Station, including stress reduction and increased awareness and cognitive ability.
This fire station should be the national benchmark for how biophilic design can reduce PTSD in fire fighters.”
Chief Deb Krebill (retired)
The Marion fire station has also been recognized with numerous international awards, including: the 2023 Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award, first place in the Public Building (Built) category from in the 2023 Rethinking The Future Awards, is the Government Building of the Year in the 2023 Archello Awards, and earned a Special Mention in the 2023 Architizer A+ Awards. It also received an Honor Award from the AIA Justice Facilities Review Award in 2023. It was the second fire station to win the award. The first was also designed by OPN Architects: Madison Fire Station No. 14 in 2020.
Other AIA local and regional chapter awards include: Excellence in Design, Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter (2021), Excellence in Design, Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, Central States Region (2022), Impact Award, Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter (2023).
The fire station was featured in the March 2023 Issue of “Architectural Record,” and has been published in “Contemporary Architecture: Masterpieces around the World” (Braun, 2022). It was also featured in the second edition of Terrapin Bright Green’s “The Economics of Biophilia” (2024).