Middletown’s new fire headquarters offer many amenities

Then he realized his next work location would be the new state-of-the-art headquarters on Yankee Road that opened Monday.

There is no comparison to the headquarters on Roosevelt Boulevard to the one on Yankee Road that was built after voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-mill property tax levy to finance the majority of the project.

Fire Station 82, located on Atrium Boulevard in the heart of continued growth along Interstate 75, opened last month, the first of four new fire stations.

The other two stations at Henry Avenue/Charles Street and Sophie Avenue/Stolz Drive are expected to open by June, Ludwig said.

When completed, all four of the city’s decades-old fire stations will be replaced. The projected cost for the construction of the four new stations is estimated to be $26.8 million, according to city documents.

Of that, $10.5 million was spent on the headquarters, the largest of the four stations.

During a tour of the new headquarters, Station 83, Ludwig said that’s money well spent.

The new building offers a larger training room, an extensive fitness room that mainly was funded by an anonymous donor, enlarged locker rooms with more private restrooms/showers to accommodate female firefighters, single bunk rooms, two mezzanines that provide training space and a five-story tower so firefighters can practice certain rescue exercises.

Some people refer to firefighters are “functional athletes” so it’s important for them to remain in top physical condition, Ludwig said.

“It’s a must,” he said.

The larger training room allows all shift personnel to gather together and provides space for Middletown to host training sessions for other departments. The room holds 49 people and the desks provide the latest technology, he said.

The bunk rooms feature one bed and a small desk. There are no TVs.

Ludwig said Fire Chief Tom Snively wanted the firefighters to “work together, live together and train together.” He wanted them out of their bunkrooms.

The two mezzanines have windows that overlook the bays and offer an opportunity for the firefighters to rope train.

The five pull-through bays, one more than the previous headquarters, include exhaust tubing that pulls the dangerous fumes out of the building.

Ludwig said the new fire stations also have improved recruitment and possibly retention in the department.

He said 52 recruits took the test last week, a much higher number than normal, and the union president said morale among the firefighters is elevated.

While Ludwig said the firefighters owe “a debt of gratitude” to the voters, Snively also deserves much credit for being the driving force behind the project.

“It will be a great legacy for him,” Ludwig said of Snively, who plans to retire after 30-plus years in mid-June.

ESTIMATED COSTS OF BUILDING FOUR FIRE STATIONS

SOURCE: City of Middletown/App Architecture