Demolition Clears Way for $1.5M New LA Fire Station

Firefighters stationed at Lafayette Fire Station #3 on Cooper Drive bid farewell to the longstanding station recently as demolition crews knocked down the aging, 5,000-square-foot structure to make way for a larger, modern station.

The $1.5 million project will transform the cramped, outdated facility into a 13,000-square-foot building with more living space, more equipment space, technology upgrades, and proper meeting and training rooms, Lafayette Fire Department spokesperson Alton Trahan said.

Construction on the building is expected to last a year.

The money was originally allocated in the 2018-2019 fiscal year to address major repairs, but when inspectors completed a comprehensive review of the 42-year-old building, they found extensive termite damage, roof leaks and foundation issues that signaled repair wasn’t a viable option, he said.

The spokesman said the department has angled for the project for several years. The last time an existing station was demolished and rebuilt was in 2010.

“It’s not too often we have the opportunity to build new because of the substantial cost, but when you look at that station, it’s clear it’s beyond time to demolish and rebuild,” Trahan said.

The spokesman said the quality of the fire station matters because the crew members who operate from the building may spend more time at the station than on calls, depending on the call volume for their shift. They’re working 24 hours a day, and it’s difficult to keep up morale and team cohesion when it’s dark, dingy and there’s nowhere for teams to have proper meetings, he said.

Trahan said about 12 firefighters operate from the station in shifts of three to four crew members at a time. Once completed, the new station will be able to house up to eight firefighters at a time. The living area of about 1,375 square feet will roughly double and each firefighter will have a separate pod-style private sleeping area. The new station also will include separate men’s and women’s quarters, he said.

Right now, four firefighters are sleeping in a 12-by-14-foot room, Trahan said.

Capt. Kelly Patin has worked as a firefighter for 18 years and has served out of Station #3 for the past year. Patin said the station’s previous living space tended to feel dungeon-like and he and the other crew members are excited to have a fresh new space to call home.

“We spend more time at the station than at home with our families. It’s very important. Having a nice, clean, fresh place to work can revive you a little,” he said.

Patin said the new building is also a signal to the community of the fire department’s commitment to providing the best possible service and protection to the neighborhood and surrounding response district. It’s a big investment, he said.

Trahan said the new station will have three bays with space for two fire trucks and the possible addition of a rescue vehicle. The fire department currently has two rescue vehicles equipped with the Jaws of Life and other evacuation tools at stations on Broadmoor Boulevard and Mudd Avenue. The new station on Cooper Drive would be able to house a third if the department purchases another.

“We always want to build for the future,” he said.

The spokesman said the Station #3 firefighters will be housed at Station #11 at 1115 Ambassador Caffery Parkway during the demolition and construction. Trahan said the two districts border one another and firefighters will not be far removed from their response area.

The department has taken additional precautions and will be utilizing their GPS response system to route trucks from stations on Mudd Avenue and Azelie Street to cover Station #3’s eastern perimeter to ensure response times don’t rise, Trahan said.

———

Visit The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. at www.theadvocate.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.