DHA has had the privilege of partnering with Clay County over the past several years on a wide range of civic projects. In anticipation of significant population growth driven by the new Outer Beltway, the County launched an initiative to enhance emergency response times and better serve its residents.
As part of this effort, DHA has designed two new fire stations, with four additional stations currently in development. The first of these, Fire Station 20, was completed in June 2025 by Ajax Building Company and is located along SR 16 in Green Cove Springs. The 19,000-square-foot facility accommodates five apparatus bays and provides living quarters for 15 firefighters per shift.
Designed with functionality, resilience, and community in mind, the building includes a training room accessible to all County staff, a commercial-grade kitchen featuring durable stainless-steel cabinetry, and a dedicated fire tower that allows firefighters to train for multi-story rescue operations.
A particularly meaningful element of Fire Station 20 is its memorial plaza, which features structural steel artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center in New York City. These pieces are thoughtfully preserved and displayed in honor of the first responders who heroically gave their lives on September 11, 2001.
Measures have been incorporated to protect the health of the firefighters by reducing exposure to carcinogens that are shown to cause cancer after prolonged exposure. To minimize this risk, the living spaces are separated from the Apparatus Bays and the intermediate zones are carefully designed to decontaminate staff, surfaces, and the atmosphere to prevent migration of dangerous pollutants into the living quarters. Additional measures include automatic vehicle exhaust systems in the apparatus bays (garage).
Building materials for fire stations are chosen for durability, cost effectiveness, and maintenance-friendly lifespan. In this case the station is built using split-faced CMU, glazed CMU, prefinished metal siding, standing seam metal roofing, and synthetic wood planking. The doors on the apparatus bays are four-fold doors, which allow for fast response times for the firefighters when exiting the station.
