New OFD Station 1 estimated at $12M

City officials have begun design work on the new Fire Station 1 at the corner of West Ninth Street, with a goal of having the new station ready at the end of 2026.

The estimated cost of the new Station 1 is $12 million, which reflects the size of the proposed building and its various uses, Owensboro Assistant City Manager Lelan Hancock said Friday.

The city is in the midst of “Operation Firehouse,” an upgrade of four of the Owensboro Fire Department’s five stations, and the building of a new fire training center on Daviess Street. Station 2 has already been completed and the city is about to solicit for bids on rebuilding Station 3. The new fire training center is currently under construction and will be completed this year.

Station 2 was remodeled and expanded for a bid of $785,000. Station 3 is being completely rebuilt for an estimated cost of $6 million, while the fire training center cost $5.525 million.

Hancock said Station 1, at the corner of West Ninth Street, will be larger than the other city fire stations, because it serves multiple functions. But some features are being added to all the fire stations, which involves increasing the station’s size, Hancock said.

For example, decontamination rooms are being added to stations, so firefighters can reduce the amount of potentially hazardous chemicals and contaminants entering stations from fires. Cleaning areas are part of new fire standards being adopted by the city and OFD, Hancock said.

Given that, Station 1 will still be larger than the other stations, Hancock said.

“Station 1 is unique in itself, and is unique because it’s your command station,” Hancock said.

While a normal OFD station has about five firefighters on duty, “you can double that, or more” at Station 1, Hancock said.

The station is home to the department’s administrative offices and command staff, training officer and fire inspector, and it generally is the station where new firefighters start their careers, Hancock said.

Station 1 is also the storage area of specialized equipment, like the fire and rescue boat. As part of the redesign of the stations, extra space is needed to accommodate men and women firefighters.

“You have a coed environment now,” Hancock said “Now, you have separate locker rooms, separate showers,” Hancock said. Station 2’s remodeling including creating individual sleeping areas so firefighters don’t have to sleep in the same space.

The Station 1 plan will also included a tornado-hardened area where the city will have backup servers, so city information isn’t lost if City Hall sustains storm damage.

The stations are also being redesigned with the idea that OFD will need to add more firefighters as the city grows.

“We try to be forward thinking, to try to meet the future needs of the city that firefighters serve,” Hancock said. “There’s no major piece, but all those added together make (Station 1) a larger station.”

After Station 1 is complete, officials will turn their attention to redesigning Station 4.

Station 5, the newest station, is 20 years old, and officials will consider what additions need to be made there, Hancock said.

The $12 million estimate for Station 1 is based on the anticipated square footage of the building and a review of fire facilities in other cities, Hancock said.

“It’s an estimate, but I’m comfortable with the number,” Hancock said.

When officials get bids back on the Station 3 project this summer, “those numbers will give us a better idea,” Hancock said.