Land, Building and Fire Apparatus - $7 million
Fire Station No. 4, located at 404 NE Woods Chapel Rd., was constructed in 1976 and is the oldest station among the City's seven fire stations. The aging station has reached maximum capacity and lacks space to accommodate current and future personnel and equipment needs. As a result, there is a less than ideal living and working environment due to the following:
- There are no separate sleeping quarters, locker rooms and bathroom facilities for men and women.
- The station does not have a decontamination area, creating potential exposure hazards when equipment is decontaminated by crews in the same working and living space.
- The equipment bay is overcrowded and not conducive to housing an ambulance, pumper and other equipment while crews are working quickly to don fire gear and access equipment. It does not provide sufficient space for training, decontamination or other activities.
This initiative would replace the existing station that has exceeded its service life, to a location that will redistribute Fire Department response apparatus to better serve the population in the northern area of the City and prepare for future growth and expansion of services.The City is evaluating areas for the proposed site as the current location does not provide adequate space for expansion.
This initiative would also add an aerial apparatus, also known as a ladder truck, to the Fire Department fleet. Currently the fleet has only two ladder trucks, which creates vulnerability when one or both of the ladder trucks is out of service or on other calls for service. This additional aerial would allow for an existing ladder truck to be placed in reserve and lessen vulnerability. This also has potential to improve the City's ISO rating.
If approved, it is anticipated this project would begin within two to three years.