Resiliency and Relocation Project
Overview Facts
- Location: Santa Rosa, CA
- Construction type: New Construction
- Project type: Fire Station
- Project size: 8,970 sq. ft.
Project Team
- Owner: The City of Santa Rosa
- Architect: COAR Design Group
- Engineers: Capital Engineering, ZFA Structural Engineering, EBA Engineering, O’Mahoney & Myer, Quadriga
- Contractor: Wright Contracting
Estimated Energy Savings & Incentives
- $3,177 Total Incentive
- 1,010 kg Annual CO2e Avoided
- 200 Annual Avoided Therms
Introduction to the Project
The new Santa Rosa Fire Station 5 opened in late 2025 after operating out of a temporary facility for more than seven years. The original station was lost in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, creating an opportunity to rebuild a more resilient, efficient, and community-focused facility.
The new station is more centrally located, improving emergency response times. It includes a day room, kitchen, dorm rooms, and three apparatus bays. The larger site provides additional defensible space, helping reduce wildfire risk and improve overall safety.
The team partnered with the California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) program to further evaluate energy efficiency opportunities that support resiliency and long-term building performance.
Project Goals
Throughout the project, the team prioritized creating a facility that could reliably serve the community for decades to come. Key goals included improving emergency response times, supporting disaster response operations, enhancing resiliency against future wildfire events, and incorporating sustainable design strategies that promote long-term building performance.
To support these objectives, durable, fire-resistant materials and finishes were selected, and the site was designed to reduce wildfire risk. The project also incorporates a rooftop photovoltaic system and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support sustainability goals and future electrification opportunities. The team also incorporated LEED criteria to help guide environmentally responsible design and construction.
Energy efficiency was another key component of the project’s resiliency and sustainability strategy. High-performance systems not only reduce energy use and emissions, but also support reliable operation, improved indoor air quality, and long-term building performance.
Energy Efficiency Strategies
Resiliency and operational reliability were key considerations in selecting energy efficiency strategies. Through the CEDA program, the team evaluated multiple systems and supported the implementation of key high-efficiency solutions.
- Cold Climate Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) System Provides primary heating and cooling throughout the station while minimizing reliance on electric resistance backup heating. This helps reduce peak energy demand and maintain consistent indoor comfort.
- Unitary Air-Cooled Split System Heat Pump: Supports space conditioning in specific areas of the building. This high-efficiency, all-electric system contributes to reduced emissions and supports the project’s sustainability goals.
- Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWHs): Standalone HPWHs were installed to serve the building’s domestic hot water needs with significantly lower energy use compared to traditional systems. Their distributed design supports flexibility and reliable hot water availability.
Santa Rosa Fire Station 5 demonstrates how energy efficiency can support more than reduced energy use. The CEDA analysis also explored advanced decarbonization pathways beyond the systems ultimately selected for the project, including heat pump water heating systems using low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants. This helped the team evaluate a broader range of climate-conscious solutions during design.
The selected energy efficiency strategies align with the project’s focus on resiliency, durability, and community support—resulting in a facility designed to serve first responders and the community for years to come.
Close-up of an installed VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) HVAC unit on the rooftop.
Customer Testimonial
“The CEDA program benefited the project by providing an independent energy efficiency review of the project plans at no cost or further obligation to the City. The CEDA report provided recommendations for the City’s consideration to implement energy efficiency systems into the project. The report included the estimated annual cost savings, CO2 reduction, and program incentives which enabled discussions with the Design-Builder on measures that could be easily implemented”
Camron Macdonald Project Manager, City of Santa Rosa
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