Brussels Airport has unveiled two ‘state-of-the-art’ low energy fire stations which are located in the eastern and western sections of the airport grounds.
The new fire stations replace the three old stations located in the northern and southern sections, next to the airport terminal. The 145-strong fire department will now operate from the new stations which provide space for the fire brigade’s extensive fleet.
Arnaud Feist, chief executive officer of Brussels Airport Company, said: “Our new fire stations belong to the best in Europe, they are designed to enable even more efficient operations in case of an emergency intervention and are equipped with the latest technologies.”
The new design, located between runways 25R and 25L, enables firefighters to exit the fire station within 30 seconds of an alarm. By doing so the airport is fully compliant with response times required by aviation law.
Both stations are energy efficient buildings with power produced by almost 800 solar panels which have been installed on both roofs. The lighting is comprised entirely of LED lamps, whilst the fire station’s heating and cooling requirements are taken care of via heat pumps.
Water collectors have been placed on the roofs to enable the collection of rainwater for recycling as fire extinguishing water or for sanitary purposes. Large windows have been installed to the northern end the stations to ensure that less cooling is required in the summer.
Fire Station West has a surface area of 4.632 square metres, with a paved area around the fire station of 12,000 square metres. Fire Station East has a surface area of 1.413 square metres, with a paved area of 14.000 square metres, including a training ground.
Both fire stations have a central garage with enough space for all vehicles, required to remain on standby for emergencies, such as crash tenders and fire-extinguishing robots. The buildings are constructed from concrete to facilitate easier recycling in the future.
