The Importance of Fire Stations

The existence of a local fire station provides citizens with a sense of security that when an emergency situation arises, their community can count on emergency responders to get there quickly and safely. But as municipal leaders come to grips with the financial issues affecting their communities, some of that assurance is being called into question. In cities and towns of all sizes, recommendations to lay off or furlough firefighter staff or to temporarily “brown out” a station have grabbed the attention of residents.

Whether occupied by full-time career firefighters or part-time volunteer firemen, a fire station is the headquarters for a company. There will be living quarters, work areas, an alarm system to notify them when they receive a callout, and a garage for housing the fire apparatus. Some fire stations are named based on the settlement, neighborhood or street where they’re located, while others are assigned a number to distinguish them from one another.

In addition to housing the fire apparatus, a fire station also houses firefighter equipment and supplies for battling a fire and responding to other emergencies. These include ground extension ladders, rescue tools, firefighting chemicals and other safety gear. In some cases, a fire station will also house a medical unit for dispatching ambulances to the scene of an emergency.

A fire station is typically equipped with a radio tower that broadcasts the location of the emergency to other nearby fire stations. In large metropolitan areas, the radio tower may be used to coordinate the response of multiple fire departments, which can then dispatch their own fire trucks and crews to the scene. In more rural settings, a single fire station may be staffed by a full-time career firefighter who will take calls and dispatch the nearest available personnel to the scene of the emergency.

Firefighters typically spend most of their time at the fire station in between emergency calls, training and preparing for an incident. In some cases, the station will also act as a base for educating members of the public about fire prevention and safety. In the United States, fire stations are usually operated by either a city, county or a combination of both. In addition to serving the needs of the community, fire stations are often the focal point of community pride and volunteerism, with many residents supporting their local fire department through open houses, fundraisers and other events and activities.

I have worked at both an all volunteer firehouse and a combination department (full-time mixed with Paid On-Call) firehouse. The all volunteer experience was a nonsensical shit show that was the governmental equivalent of a hazardous waste dumpster fire inside a geriatric bariatric high rise with a broken elevator. The mixed firehouse, on the other hand, was a much more efficient operation that could handle the same amount of work at a fraction of the cost. Regardless of the type of firehouse, however, it is crucial to have enough responders to deal with emergency situations efficiently. If not, there is a risk that lives and property will be put at risk.