New fire and police stations strengthen Baltimore County’s emergency response
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects—which has offices in both Pennsylvania and Maryland—has been working on a range of projects for Baltimore County’s first responder community. With distinct safety and usage considerations, fire and police stations require a unique Architectural design approach.
Rebecca McCormick, AIA, an Architect and firm Principal, has her hands in these projects, including the Catonsville Fire Station, Wilkens Police Precinct, and Essex Police Precinct. “It starts with a lot of discussion with the officers and how they want to utilize the space,” she says. “There’s a lot of considerations to their safety and wellbeing.”
Catonsville Fire Station
M&D designed the new Catonsville Fire Station #4, which broke ground in January and is proceeding into roughly a two-year construction process.
The project includes a training tower, five-bay station, full commercial kitchen, bunk rooms, a large living and dining area, and a community room that will double as a training room. Located down the street from the existing station, the new structure will better serve the community’s needs. The old fire station will be converted into a fire rescue museum.
Designed under a LEED Silver framework, the new fire station will include electric vehicle charging stations and rooftop photovoltaic panels. Exterior brick cladding aligns with Catonsville’s existing aesthetic, and vertical metal cladding with translucent wall panels for access to daylight will enhance the overall appearance with a modern touch.
Wilkens Police Precinct
Baltimore County’s Precinct 1 in Wilkens is getting a major renovation and addition. Also in Catonsville, the recent groundbreaking on March 30 is a major step towards what will be an all-new 34,000-square-foot facility on the same site as the existing police precinct facility.
With a phased construction process, the precinct will maintain operations in their existing 1960s building while constructing the new building around it. Once that part is done, the existing building will be demolished so that the site work can be completed.
“It's a hilly site with a steep grade, and maintaining access to the existing building while construction is going on around it is going to require a lot of coordination,” says McCormick.
“This new building will be the county’s gem, their state-of-the-art police precinct,” says McCormick, noting it will be the first precinct the County has constructed in well over a decade.
Features will include a large fitness facility, a secure sally port for bringing in prisoners directly into the rear of the facility, and a warm and welcoming public entrance around front. Wood-look cladding, translucent wall panels for second-floor daylight, and a unique masonry pattern on the facade will make this building unique.
Essex Police Precinct
Soon to break down is the Baltimore County Precinct 11 in Essex, designed as a renovation and addition with a final square footage of approximately 32,000 square feet, including roughly 16,000 of added square feet in the addition.
Another phased construction project, the Essex precinct will maintain operations in their existing building while the new addition is constructed. A major comprehensive renovation of the existing building will “tie it all together.”
“A lot of the scope is in keeping with what we're doing at Wilkens so the County can have a streamlined presence,” says McCormick. This includes a fitness facility, a welcoming main entry plaza with a canopy overhang, and a secure sally port to bring prisoners in through the rear.
All windows will be situated at a higher level to avoid direct office area views to the interior. The design includes landscaping, but it intentionally won’t obstruct views or create hiding places around the perimeter of the building.
Each of these upcoming emergency support facilities for Baltimore County first responders reflects a commitment to transparency and protection—built to serve, safeguard, and stand strong for decades to come.
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Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has been working on a range of projects for Baltimore County’s first responder community, which require a unique Architectural design approach.