An exterior photograph of a building at dusk.

An aerial photograph of a building, parking lot, and driveway among trees

A photograph at dusk looking down a driveway toward a building

Wayne County EMS Sodus Substation

A Site Among Wetlands—Carving Out Space for EMS in Sodus, NY

After a study found slow response times to emergency calls and a decline in volunteer services, Wayne County chose to provide and run their own full EMS service. Specifically, the new system would use four EMS stations located strategically throughout the County to augment other ambulance services, improve emergency response times, and ultimately save lives.

Wayne County retained LaBella Associates to provide full architectural and engineering services for the design and construction of four new EMS stations. Completed in fall 2024, the Lyons Station was the first and largest of the four stations built, serving as the system’s headquarters, as well as the primary station for the south quadrant of County. Construction of the Sodus substation, which serves the north quadrant and is described herein, was completed just one year later. Substations in Rose and Walworth, New York, were completed concurrent with Sodus.

LaBella supported the project from the initial conceptual design through construction administration, providing survey; subsurface geotechnical investigations; environmental services; SEQR assistance; site/civil engineering; structural engineering; geotechnical engineering; architectural and interior design services; and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering.

Together, the four EMS stations respond holistically and quickly to emergency calls throughout the county.

The Design

The Sodus EMS substation is a modern, single-story, 5,577-square-foot, state-of-the-art EMS ambulance facility that responds to the site context and environment with a cohesive, organic design that feels as if it is part of—and one with—its natural environment.

Three ambulance apparatus bays can house four ambulances. The main living quarters opens into a common corridor and locker alcove adjacent to an exercise room. Nearby gender-neutral wash, toilet, and shower facilities accommodate a mixed-gender staffing model. A quiet room provides space for respite between calls. Central to an EMS facility’s culture, an open-space-concept kitchen and lounge boast cathedral ceilings and varied seating clusters. Ample exterior windows and an outdoor patio support biophilic design, connecting occupants with nature. The facility also includes administrative offices and a charting work area.

The building exterior design and materials were selected to create a building aesthetic similar to that of the EMS headquarters in Lyons, NY, and to fit within the rural setting throughout Wayne County.

Site landscape design and building design incorporated natural materials where possible to lessen the impact of the built environment on the forested land, including wood guardrails, natural stone landscaping, and night sky-compliant lighting.

An exterior photograph of a small stone patio among mulch and trees.

A photograph of a kitchen with an island lined with chairs

A photograph of the interior of ambulance bays with one ambulance parked

An aerial photograph of a forested area between two roads. — Project site prior to development

Site Context Challenges & Solutions

Environmental Concerns

Concept plans which show the Wayne Co EMS Sodus Substation design overlaid on wetland areas highlighted in green. The image demonstrates minimal overlap of the facility over the wetlands. — A redesigned site plan shows minimal overlap of wetlands (in green)

As LaBella guided the project through the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process and performed a wetland delineation, wetlands were found to be present on the site, contrary to an earlier jurisdictional review letter. Wetlands and 100-foot wetland-adjacent buffer zones encompassed nearly the entire site.

LaBella redesigned the project to position the building in a location that minimized impact to the wetlands, then submitted a successful joint permit application. To compensate for the minimally impacted wetlands, LaBella established a plan to enhance the quality of the remaining wetlands on-site with new tree and shrub plantings and removal of invasive plant species.

Overall, less than 0.1 of an acre of wetlands was disturbed.

Despite the environmental challenges, the County persisted, working with LaBella to build the EMS facility into the site context, ultimately creating a sustainable and environmentally sensitive project.

Site Challenges

A photograph of a bioretention pond at an elevation just below the Wayne County EMS Sodus Substation, which is pictured in the background. — Stormwater feeds to this bioretention pond which sits just below the building’s elevation.

Retaining walls were constructed at the rear of the property and along the driveway to block entry into the wetlands, limiting the need for substantial site regrading. The building foundation and pad were raised to prevent wetland flooding into the foundation. Stormwater drains into a bioretention pond, which outlets to the top of the wetlands, which are above the existing natural grade elevation.

Neither the site, nor the nearby state roads, had sanitary sewer or water service. Water lines were designed to run through a narrow, non-wetland corridor of the site, and were then bored using directional drilling under State Route 88 and Ridge Road to connect to the closest water main.

New sanitary sewer lines were designed to extend from the building to a nearby pump station. Wastewater is then pumped from the EMS site to an adjacent subdivision

Permitting

The project required extensive permitting, including:

Wayne County – Building Permit
Wayne County Water & Sewer Authority – New Water Service
New York State Department of Health – Water Main Extension
NYSDEC – State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit & Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
NYSDEC – Article 24 for Freshwater Wetlands
USACE Nationwide Permit 39 – Commercial and Institutional Developments
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) – Driveway Permit
NYSDOT – Utility Permit
Rochester Gas & Electric – New Electrical and Natural Gas Services

Construction Implementation

The project was delivered through a traditional design, bid, build contract approach with the construction work awarded in five prime contracts. The Sodus, Rose, and Walworth substations were progressed simultaneously with an aggressive schedule of 18 months from design to construction. The three facilities were bid as a single, multiple-prime competitive bid package to take advantage of purchasing and construction efficiencies, particularly since the buildings are near replicas of one another.

A low aerial photograph of a driveway leading to a building with three garage doors

A photograph of a driveway lined by wooden guard rails, stone, and retaining walls.

A photograph of ambulance bays with one ambulance parked inside.

A photograph of a main entrance hallway with double doors and a company emblem on the wall.

A photograph of a kitchen with an island

A photograph of a lounge area with high ceilings, leather furniture, a table with chairs, and doors leading outside.

A photograph of gender-neutral restrooms

Visit the four EMS stations serving Wayne County!

The Walworth, Sodus, Rose, and Lyons EMS Stations may serve different quadrants of the county, but their brand is uniform across all four facilities. Video Credit: Wayne County

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