One thing that is unique to all firehouses is the smell,diesel exhaust and dinner. I have worked in a few older firehouses. City of Pleasanton CA maintenance crew restored a very nice old Wolf stove/oven with a firetruck theme,powder coated all practical parts in red and black added diamond plate,very clever and well done. I spent 16 years in the firehouse that has the worlds oldest still burning light bulb, over 110 years now(Livermore CA Sta.#1).It was common in the 60-70's for Cities to have developers build firehouses in big planned neighborhoods and put them where they would be useful.Often hard to tell them from the neighborhood except the oversize garage/apparatus floor.Original fire houses from the early 1900's have a special place in my heart.