The City of Springfield and Clark State College just built a new fire station that's also home to the local fire academy. It's the first station of its kind in Ohio.
According to City Manager Bryan Heck this house on 2040 S. Limestone S. replaces the station on Pleasant Avenue.
“It puts the student right where the action is and all of the equipment."
“It's an exciting day for our partnership with Clark State,” Heck said during the station’s ribbon cutting ceremony on July 8.
Most of the $9 million Station 8 functions as a regular fire station, with advanced gear, equipment, a modern kitchen, private sleeping and showering areas for a crew of four to five per shift.
“Fire stations are often seen as those staple monuments of a community because they serve, and they serve our community when they're at their worst,” Heck said.
A smaller section houses Clark State’s Fire Academy, with training labs and student classrooms. Annually, about 225 pass through the academy, including professional firefighters, those who volunteer at rural stations, and students.
“It puts the student right where the action is and all of the equipment,” said Sharon Evans, vice chair of Clark State’s Board of Trustees. According to Evans, this arrangement is the first in Ohio and signifies the city’s commitment to its residents.
“It tells the citizens that we're using money wisely. We're doing the right thing with their money. We have the state-of-the-art equipment, and we have the state-of-the-7Lettart program. It doesn't get much better than that,” Evans said.
In mid August, Clark State Fire Academy will begin holding classes. Jeremy Linn, the fire training program director at Clark State College, said Station 8’s location is intentional.
“It is just three short blocks away from our fire training center on the main campus down Auburn Avenue. So as soon as we're done in the classroom, we'll load them up on the apparatus and we'll drive three blocks and they'll be at the training center,” Linn said. He's also a 29 year veteran with the Springfield’s fire department.
According to Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, the city is forging more partnerships to build two more stations.
The new Station 6 on Ohio 41 will be a joint station between Springfield Fire Rescue and the Springfield Police Division. Station 5 on the western end of the community will be home to Box 27, which is an all-volunteer group providing direct support to the Springfield Fire Division.
Both of these stations carry roughly a $7 million price tag. They’ll open in 2025.
