Combining Fire Stations
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The year is 2040 Engine 1 is responding to its 10th call of the day. They will not Ladder 1 until later possibly for lunch. Medic 1 you can forget about. They will be running all day. Not the medic 1 you know of today though, this is a paid unit. The only remnant of REMS can be seen at the To the Rescue Museum located at 13 East Church Ave. If that address sounds familiar it now houses Ladder 1 downtown. Ladder 1 receives a call in SW although they just cleared up from a call near the airport. So it will be a long response, however they will make it eventually. It is only noon. Roanoke Fire-EMS is the busiest Fire Department in the Nation. Engine 1 runs an average of 35 calls a day, Ladder 1 runs at least 27, and Medic 1 runs every minute of the day turning calls over to Carilion that they cannot run because they are already on a call. You ask what about all the other apparatus. Well in 2007 station 1 merged with 3 and 10 merged with 2, 2008 9 merged with 5,2010 8 merged with 11 and Clearbrook, 2012 6 merged with 14, 2018 13 merged with 4. Then a new wrath of merges to 2040 where we are left with 3 apparatus. Minimum staffing 3 on engine and ladder and 2 on the medic truck. Where is the station you ask. Who needs a station. These firefighters are running calls all day. They got rid of the last fire station 2 years ago.
Ok this is not practical and it is extremely far fetched.
I understand that the Airport station has been sold to the Airport for about $750,000. Those funds were in turn used to purchase to parcels of land one around 19th street NW and another at Williamson and Birchlawn.
So I understand the purchase of the 19th St. land is to be used for the 5-9 combination station. And I can assume that the purchase of the Williamson Rd. land will be used for the new Station 10. Now the big question is will we have County personnel and apparatus in City Station 10? There has been talk of the County putting a Medic truck in stations 11 and 13. What will come of that?
So then I guess the Race is on. Which station will be built first? Station 1-3 at Franklin at Elm, Station 5-9 at 19th and Melrose, or Station 10 at Williamson and Birchlawn?
What apparatus will these stations have. Will we only be combining stations or will Engine companies disappear?
