New Fire Station 5 set to open soon in the All America City
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – For firefighters, the ability to get ready and out the door of the firehouse quickly is vital, and the new automatic doors at Fire Station 5 open in 4 and a half seconds.
It is just one of the many state-of-the-art features in the new fire station, which replaces a facility built more than 50 years ago.
‘It is definitely an improvement, it is well needed,” said Tupelo Fire Chief Brad Robinson.
And from the location of the firefighters’ quarters, the kitchen, TV room, and meeting space, it is all about efficiency.
‘Everything in fire service is how fast we can get there, citizens want to see us get there, we try and count the number of steps from when guys are cooking, showering, or whatever, they can get out the door faster,” Chief Robinson said.
The 4 million dollar project features an exhaust system in the bays. It catches toxic diesel fumes while the engine runs indoors, but this one automatically pops off without damaging equipment as the truck pulls out.
There is also a decon room and showers, right off the bays, when firefighters answer a hazmat call and need to get any hazardous soot, chemicals, or gases off of themselves and their gear. The air system also helps keep everyone safe.
“Our AC unit, we have positive pressure on those, so we are pushing the air away from the guys, so contaminated air is not going inside the building,” Robinson said.
There is also a safe room, a workout area, and rooms for storage, that can be converted for other uses in the future. A pole barn next door will provide one place to put large trailers and other equipment.
‘Anything stored now outside will be stored inside, helps the life of trailers and equipment, gets them out of the weather, some of it is actual rescue equipment, light towers,” Chief Robinson said.
The new fire station 5 should be open by late July or early August.
Next on the list for fire station replacement is Tupelo Fire station Number One, which was built in the 1960s.
