Fire Station 3 is the smallest station in the department by a wide margin.
"This is the dining room, living room and office," firefighter Justin Stanbery explained as he gestured across an unspacious space just inside the station's entryway lined with furniture, literature and equipment.
The station hosted several individuals with the Citizens Helping Improve Public Safety, or CHIPS group, who came to see the existing station that could be demolished and replaced if voters pass an upcoming ballot question.
The ballot item in question calls for funding of a rebuilt Fire Station 3 and a new fire training facility, while another question on the ballot provides for a new public safety building that will house the police department, court facility and dispatch office to be paid for by bonds that will be paid off by way of a 1% sales tax. These questions are expected to be on the March 3 primary election ballot.
Stanbery explained that the proposed replacement for station 3 will be on the opposite side of Glasgow Road, roughly between the current station's location and Branchwood Recreation Center.
The station's other firefighter, Ryan Carr, explained that the station's small size means only two firefighters -- just enough to operate a single vehicle -- can be housed inside.
With only two people, the department houses a single fire truck and no ambulance. In a medical emergency, the truck is dispatched and the firefighters, cross-trained in emergency medicine, provide stabilization and initial aid. An ambulance is dispatched from Fire Station 4 at the same time and, if a patient needs to be transported, the ambulance isn't far behind, he explained.
A bigger station would mean space for an additional crew to man an additional vehicle, he said.
It also makes for more comfortable shifts, he explained. Firefighters typically work 24-hour shifts, and there's some downtime between running calls and keeping the station clean. At a bigger station, that time can be filled with more social activities like playing cards or just chatting.
"Here, you're basically staring at walls," Carr said.
Billie Hall, the co-chair of CHIPS, said she was surprised to see how little space firefighters had to work with.
"I think it's horrible," she said.
Hall explained she lives in this station's service area and had no idea what firefighters were dealing with, and she suspects none of her neighbors know.
Fellow CHIPS member Anne Dahlke said it's important to note firefighters don't just show up for a shift, they live in these stations during their 24-hour shifts.
Dahlke said she thinks more people should come to see this for themselves.
Fire Chief Steve Sims said he appreciated having a group stop by and he encourages anyone who's curious to stop by, look and ask questions for themself.
It's a good chance for the general public to better understand the department's needs, he said.
"Kind of speaks for themselves when people can come out and look at it," he said.
General News on 12/11/2019