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Councilmember presses city on privacy in new fire station dorms; mayor and chief cite need for on-duty communication
Summary
Councilwoman Lydia DeGeorge questioned whether the renovated Bay Village fire station dorms would have doors rather than curtains for privacy and coed suitability; Mayor Koomar and Fire Chief Lyons said the design emphasizes communication and shared facilities while providing separate sleeping areas and lockable shower/changing spaces.
Councilwoman Lydia DeGeorge asked the Mayor and Fire Chief Chris Lyons whether the planned renovations to the city's fire station would include individual doors on sleeping cubicles rather than curtains, citing privacy and sleep-quality concerns and trends in newer stations.
"Curtains are more or less old school. And there seems to be a more modern step in preparing for the future to go forward with doors," DeGeorge said, urging the council to revisit the dorm-room design for privacy and coed-friendliness.
Mayor Koomar responded that the design balances privacy with operational readiness: "We are paying our firefighter/paramedics to be on duty and ready and communicate with one another. We have a nice set up providing them with a lot more privacy, but we also need them to be able to hear a call, talk with one another, and respond to the call." Chief Lyons said the project superintendent is enforcing safety around the construction area and that sleeping areas will have partitions and curtain entrances with separate changing and sink facilities; those shower/changing areas can be locked for privacy.
Councilman Michael A. Greco noted that neighboring Rocky River plans to install doors without locks in its new station, and the exchange left open whether Bay Village design choices would change. The discussion did not produce a formal motion or change to the project record during the meeting, but council members asked staff and the chief to consider privacy needs alongside on-duty communication requirements.
