July 28, 2016
New York
Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of the future home of FDNY Rescue Company 2.
Formed in 1925 to establish special rescue capability in the borough of Brooklyn and currently housed at 1472 Bergen Street, Rescue Company 2 is one of FDNY’s five rescue companies—specially trained units that respond to a variety of unique emergencies in addition to fires.
The company’s new station, located at 1815 Sterling Place in Brownsville, Brooklyn, is designed to be a training tool itself by enabling the simulation of a wide range of emergency conditions in, on, and around the building, including specific areas for trench rescue and confined space rescue training, a room to simulate the smoke-filled environments in which firefighters operate, and an elevated area that allows firefighters to train to rappel from the roof of a building to perform a rescue.
The design incorporates innovative double-use spaces such as a vertical light and air shaft that doubles as a training tower with windows, doors, and balconies that mimic typical city conditions. The exterior maintains the neighborhood scale and iconic red doors of more traditional firehouses. In line with the Mayor’s commitment to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the design includes a solar water heating system, 100% LED lighting with motion sensors to reduce electricity usage, and a green roof to help mitigate storm water runoff from the site.