Big bay doors wide open for chunks of time year-round. Cold concrete floors. Spaces wide enough - literally - to drive a fire engine through. From a conservation standpoint, fire stations are an energy efficiency expert's nightmare.

Cause for alarm
Forward sprint

But for Autumn Radle, sustainability manager for Oklahoma City, the next fire station will be one of the city's best efforts at going green.

In February, the city broke ground on Fire Station 6, a $2.9 million project that will yield its first LEED-certified building constructed with city funds. The acronym stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is considered the hallmark for green buildings. The movement is one to which Oklahoma City is committed.

For Radle, it's a concrete step in the right direction.

"What I'm the most proud of, and maybe this says we're at our infancy