North Davis Fire District (NDFD) contracted with Blalock + Partners to conduct a feasibility study on the existing NDFD Fire Station 42, located at 88 East Center St, Clearfield UT.  The facility, constructed in 1980 to provide service to Clearfield City as a Volunteer Fire Department, had since grown greatly in call volume and needs while the building and its amenities continued to age. In 2021, Station 42 was arguably one of the busiest fire stations in Utah with an annual call volume of approximately 3,200 calls while an anticipated addition of a paramedic unit in 2022 would add an additional 1,500 calls. Through careful study of the site and the facility’s needs, NDFD determined the existing station would not adequately meet the current and near future demands.

Ultimately, the decision was made to design and construct a new Fire Station 42 on the site of the old facility. The new facility includes (9) firefighter dorms, a battalion chief dorm, day room and turnout gear areas, (4) drive-thru bays, and a 50-seat training room. The design team carefully crafted an architectural solution which located these amenities on a trapezoidal-shaped site while providing safe ingress and egress of fire apparatuses, maintaining adequate space for a stormwater detention basin, and providing NFPA required one-minute turnout times.

Regarding the aesthetic of the building, NDFD felt it needed a strong, civic prominence on this busy intersection. Conceptually, the Blalock + Partners team found inspiration in the local Hill Air Force Base (HAFB). Integral to Clearfield’s history and identity, and a source of pride to Clearfield’s residents, imagery of HAFB can be found throughout the community including Clearfield’s City logo and Clearfield’s High School mascot, the Falcons.  To build off of this community-driven idea, the design team particularly focused on the marriage of beauty and function found in the fighter jets and hangars seen on the Base which fueled the team’s design to invoke a sense of movement, lift, and sleekness.