“The approval of the new fire station is a great step forward for our department,” said 788th CEG Fire Chief Jacob King. “It will provide appropriate space for our vehicles, personnel and better aligns us to support the flying mission, the 445th Airlift Wing and the installation.”
King said the location of the new fire station will not only allow the fire crew to meet response time requirements for aircraft emergencies, it will also have better response times for all other emergencies.
“This will provide two other primary benefits, the first being our firefighters will have appropriate living and working conditions that will be free from mold and asbestos hazards that the aged station has,” said King. “The second being the fire trucks will fit in the new station. We have a new fire truck that does not fit in the current station.”
The fire department has a staff of approximately 90 members made up of firefighters, inspectors, paramedics and dispatchers and are spread out in the three fire stations: one in Area B and two in Area A. They respond to more than 1,100 emergency calls a year and support 130 fire departments across five counties in southwestern Ohio as part of mutual assistance agreements
The design of the new fire station will bring the facility to modern design requirements and construction is slated to begin later this year.
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