OH Firefighters Move Into Newly Built Station
By Kaitlyn McGarvey
Source Record-Courier, Kent, Ohio
The Streetsboro Fire Department officially moved into its new station on Thursday.
Crews were busy moving materials from the former station at 9184 Route 43, to the new one which is located just behind it. A grand opening is anticipated to take place this summer after the old station is demolished, firefighters are comfortable in the new space and all exterior work is complete.
Earlier this year, a tour of the new station led by Fire Chief Robert Reinholz revealed the inside of the station to be durable and functional. The station has to serve many needs, he emphasized. To its crew, the building act as a kitchen, a hotel, a school, a mechanic and a study. Designs were carefully planned to ensure the new building could be all of those things.
The first floor features two emergency vehicle bays — one for EMS vehicles and one for larger trucks — divided by an alarm room and a staircase leading up to the second floor. Near the apparatus bays is the turnout gear room. It is outfitted with a special extractor to help clean gear and rid it of smoke and other carcinogens.
Firefighters will spend the majority of the day on the first floor, Reinholz said. The second floor is essentially for sleeping, showering and exercising. It was purposely designed that way to keep crews from constantly moving between the two floors.
The dining area doubles as a space for video training. On the other side of the kitchen are administration offices. Upstairs there is a gym, two locker rooms, a laundry room, and 10 individual sleeping areas. An average shift of firefighters has at least six people, Reinholz said.
Bright red accents can be found in nearly every room in the station. For firefighters, Reinholz said, the color has historically symbolized their courage and bravery.
In 2019 voters approved a 20-year, 0.8-mill levy to fund the $5.43 million project on Route 43, behind the current fire station.
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