Weather-tight roof protects modern Florida fire station

The new Cape Canaveral Fire and Rescue facility in Florida is a far cry from the previous station that was built by volunteers in 1962, which had become outdated and inefficient. The new, modern station is now home to 15 volunteers and 35 paid personnel, and is designed to effectively serve the City of Cape Canaveral, Port Canaveral and Avon By The Sea. The station includes three vehicle bays, a bunk room, kitchen, office space and an exercise room.

Located on the coast, the 10,000 sq. ft. facility and its roof are designed to withstand 160 mph winds as well as the corrosive saltwater environment.

Approximately 14,000 sq. ft. of aluminum PAC-CLAD Tite-Loc Plus panels finished in Arcadia Green were installed on the facility. The PAC-CLAD panels were manufactured at Petersen Aluminum’s Acworth, Ga., plant. Installation of the panels was completed by Quality Metals Inc. in Sanford, Fla.

Panel testing for high wind uplifts was a significant factor in the selection of Petersen Aluminum products for this project, said Dave Landis, architectural/technical sales manager. “We used Miami-Dade NOA engineering information to show the architect that the aluminum panels would significantly exceed the wind load requirements for the job.”

Architectural design for the project was created by BRPH in Melbourne, Fla.

The new station, built by general contractor W&J Construction Corp., Rockledge, Fla., brings the facility up to a high standard of convenience. “It’s like day and night compared to the old station,” said Chief David Sargeant. “Now, when the sirens go off, the lights automatically come on to wake the crew and the bay doors open up so we have a quicker response time out of the building. Plus, the station is extremely energy-efficient and you won’t find a better looking building in the city,” Sargeant said.