Station Design Conference's 1-on-One Program
What to Know
- Attendees can receive direct, expert advice from architects with experience in nearly 1,000 public safety projects across North America.
- Sessions include group presentations on current trends and individual consultations covering all project stages from planning to construction.
- Participants are encouraged to bring relevant materials like site plans and photos to facilitate detailed discussions.
The critically acclaimed 1-on-One Sessions, which focus on public safety facility design, will be held May 18 as part of 2026 the Station Design Conference pre-conference program at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada.
The sessions are designed to assist law enforcement and fire service agencies planning new facilities or evaluating existing projects. According to conference organizers, participating agencies can receive direct input from architects with experience in nearly 1,000 public safety facility projects across more than 45 states and Canada.
The program will begin with a group presentation outlining key considerations in facility planning, including current trends in public safety design and construction. The session will also include a question-and-answer period, allowing attendees to address potential challenges related to their projects.
Following the group session, attendees will participate in individual consultations with architects. Each meeting is scheduled for approximately 45 minutes and will cover project stages ranging from initial planning and land acquisition to design and construction.
Organizers said the sessions are intended to provide agencies with practical guidance on issues such as facility functionality, long-term operational needs, and potential design challenges that could affect officer safety, training capacity, and resource allocation.
Attendees are encouraged to bring relevant materials to support discussion, including site plans, drawings, photos, and feasibility studies. Organizers noted that the level of detail may vary depending on the stage of the project.
Additional programming will include short seminars and case studies hosted by participating architects throughout the day. These sessions are intended to address common design issues and highlight potential risks or unintended consequences in facility planning.
Participation in the 1-on-One Sessions requires separate registration in addition to the main conference. Conference attendees are recommended to arrive the day prior to ensure full participation in the program.
Lakeport, California, Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Reitz said the sessions helped his agency better evaluate potential partners and project direction. “Those sit-downs gave us more insight and information, giving us better direction and allowing us to pick a firm that will be a best fit for guiding us through our project.”
McAllen, Texas, Fire Chief Jim Schultz described a similar experience, stating, “The assigned architect turned a specific page of the plans and within one minute identified the issue and spent the next 15 minutes explaining mitigation efforts to address the situation.”
At some point while designing a public safety facility, whether rough sketches, request for proposals (RFPs), or working blueprints, it’s worth investing the time to get a second opinion to make sure your fire station or public safety facility project is on target and to save time and money from potential mistakes and reduce change orders.
"We frequently hear from participants in the Station Design Conference 1-on-One program that it was the 'best part of the conference' to help with their specific project," says Special Projects Director Janet Wilmoth, who oversees the Station Design Conference.