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44 AUGUST 2017 | EMSWORLD.com The eight-foot operable casement windows in the upstairs offices and long expanses of glass indicate the accessibility of the EMTs to the public as well as pro- vide ample natural light and air inside the building. Wood floors and a cloud ceiling in the break room extend visually into the siding and soffit of the bay window, creat- ing a reciprocal relationship between the EMT and the exterior viewer; as the EMT is drawn to the outside environment, the viewer is pulled in. At night the illuminated interior spaces and signage become a beacon of the Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad's presence within and com- mitment to its community. Accessibility and Aesthetics Pedestrians enter the building on the west, with immediate access to the elevator and main stairs. The adjacent equipment bays can accommodate nine ambulances and are designed with clearances to house fire engines when necessary. Adjacent rooms include a watch room, lounge, laun- dry facilities, a commercial kitchen with roll- ing counter door for bay access and ample storage for events. With constantly evolving technology, techniques, drills and courses, it is impor- tant that EMTs stay up to date on practices and procedures. A large training room on the second floor was designed to allow for interactive presentations as well as physi- cal demonstrations. Two cloud ceilings with exposed struc- tures on the perimeter create divided spaces, and an acoustical folding partition allows for classes to occur simultaneously if necessary. A kitchen is located adjacent to the training room and break room to easily provide meals for visitors. The EMTs at the Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad understand that their jobs are not only responsive but preventive; having courses at this facility encourages the public to interact with their community EMTs and ultimately encourages visitors to become part of the squad. Calvert County is fortunate to have a lush and thriving collection of wetlands, forest and farmland protected by the American Chestnut Land Trust. The Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad is located east of Battle Creek and west of Parkers Creek, a location known as the "crown jewel" of the land trust and noted as "one of the most ecologically valuable sub-estuaries in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the least disturbed on Maryland's western shore" by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The rescue squad's interior spaces take advantage of these ancient forest vistas. The contemporary bay window of the break room frames the magnificent collection of Parkers Creek treetops and the training room's nine-foot windows with operable shades look toward Battle Creek. In this manner, occupants are connected with their picturesque environment, making the training room suitable not only for instruc- tional sessions but also for community events and fundraising activities. Intelligent Design Due to the potential various activities in the training space above the appara- tus bays, the building was designed to mitigate vibrations. A thicker composite slab/steel beam structure in this area var- ies from the thinner slab on steel joists in the other second-floor areas of the struc- ture. To establish open and unobstructed apparatus bays, steel W-shape girders were utilized to support a 60-foot span over the apparatus bay. The lateral-load-resisting system consists of steel moment frames and braced frames, with a moment frame transferred into the floor diaphragm in the second-floor framing above the apparatus bays. This complies with seismic design requirements. Having courses at this facility encourages the public to interact with their community EMTs and ultimately encourages visitors to become part of the squad.