‘More than just a building,’ St. Paul gets first new fire station in 15 years

The new St Paul Fire Station No across the street from the old station on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press St Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks cuts the ribbon for new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April Joining Inks are from left Assistant Fire Chiefs Anthony Farina and Jeramiah Melquist City Council member Cheniqua Johnson Ward Inks U S Sen Amy Klobuchar DFL-Minnesota St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Assistant Fire Chief Steven Sampson John Autey Pioneer Press St Paul Fire Engine the department's new electric fire truck in its new home the new St Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press A firefighter slides down one of two firefighter poles at the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press Newly-promoted St Paul Fire Captain Derek Baker has his bars pinned to his shirt by his daughter Emma with assistance from his fianc e Courtney joined by Harper right and Kylie during a promotion ceremony at St Paul Fire Station No in the St Paul on Tuesday April Baker was one of nine paramedics firefighters promoted to captain John Autey Pioneer Press U S Sen Amy Klobuchar DFL-Minnesota left U S Rep Betty McCollum DFL-Minnesota and St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter listen to St Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks during a ribbon cutting celebration for the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter radios Fire Dispatch to officially open the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April Joining Carter are from left U S Sen Amy Klobuchar DFL-Minnesota St Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks and St Paul City Council member Cheniqua Johnson Ward John Autey Pioneer Press Nine newly minted St Paul Fire Captains stand during their promotion ceremony at St Paul Fire Station No on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press Newly-promoted St Paul Fire Captain Chris Gustafson has his bars pinned to his shirt by his sons Arthur left and Malcolm assisted by mentor and retired firefighter Ryan Lyons during a promotion ceremony at St Paul Fire Station No on Tuesday April Gustafson was one of nine paramedics firefighters promoted to captain John Autey Pioneer Press The turnout racks in the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press A dorm-style room in the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press Pictures and magnets adorn a refrigerator at the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press The entertainment room in the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press The kitchen at the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press An outdoor patio overlooks the Earl St bridge at the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press One of the features of the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul is a safe room seen Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press One of the two firefighter poles this one in the kitchen and lounge space in the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press The dorm-style rooms at the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press The back door bays of the St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press Show Caption of The new St Paul Fire Station No across the street from the old station on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press Expand The first newly-built fire station in St Paul in years officially opened Tuesday replacing a building that dated to The million station in Dayton s Bluff has room for more emergency vehicles and firefighters than the old station which will mean they can have a bigger impact on the East Side declared Assistant Fire Chief Jeramiah Melquist It was also constructed with firefighter vitality and wellness in mind This is more than just a building revealed Fire Chief Butch Inks It s a promise that help is never far away When lives are on the line seconds matter The new station by the Earl Street bridge is across the street from the old Station on Ross Avenue between Earl and East Seventh streets though the location wasn t chosen totally because there was land available Inks explained We used a data-driven approach Mayor Melvin Carter added For years we ve experienced disparities in fire fatalities on our East Side that requires answers that requires action that requires resources New station doubles size room for fire rigs The old Station was square feet vs the new station s square feet The land had been a vacant lot which previously was home to the Viaduct Inn a bar and restaurant The St Paul Port Authority sold the acre lot to the city of St Paul for The previous building had three bays for fire department vehicles which the department revealed was increasingly inadequate for serving the area s requirements The station previously housed a fire engine and ladder truck an ambulance was moved to the building in which meant the engine had to relocate to a different station The new station s garage has space for five vehicles an engine truck and a ladder truck two ambulances one for advanced life endorsement and one for basic life backing and a modified SUV for the district chief who is in charge of incidents Firefighters at the old Station responded to calls per day on average and Melquist estimates they ll handle - calls from the new station Cancer reduction measures St Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks cuts the ribbon for new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April Joining Inks are from left Assistant Fire Chiefs Anthony Farina and Jeramiah Melquist City Council member Cheniqua Johnson Ward Inks U S Sen Amy Klobuchar DFL-Minnesota St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Assistant Fire Chief Steven Sampson John Autey Pioneer Press The garage has doors in the front and back which are a big safety factor because a fire equipment operator can drive directly in and out reported Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith At majority of fire stations in St Paul operators have to reverse the large trucks into the station multiple times a day in the morning snow storm for instance navigating pedestrians and traffic Smith explained The station was designed with cancer reduction efforts in mind Smith mentioned A room directly off the garage will house specially-designed washers for firefighters turnout gear which all fire stations in St Paul have Back in the day it was a badge of honor to have dirty fire gear Smith revealed Now we realize that that soot is truly cancer-causing carcinogens The goal is for firefighters to get out of their gear as speedily as feasible and not bring it into the station All St Paul firefighters have two sets of gear so they can use their other set if the first one is still washing or drying Firefighters have a percent higher menace of being diagnosed with cancer than the general U S population the Firefighter Cancer Endorsement Structure says of national information Heartbeat of the station St Paul firefighters work -hour shifts and they re encouraged to rest when they can between calls A dorm-style room in the new St Paul Fire Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press The new station has small individual dorm rooms and three rooms for supervisors The old Station and specific of the city s other stations still have communal sleeping areas with beds separated by curtains Sometimes you sleep for a scant hours sometimes you sleep not at all Smith revealed of firefighters shifts The station alert system can be heard in each dorm room so firefighters know when they re being dispatched to a medicinal urgency or a fire When that alarm goes off firefighters have a minute-and-a-half to get suited up and into their rig Smith disclosed The new station has two fire poles which are intended to save time for firefighters getting from the dorms and kitchen on the second floor to the first floor Twelve to firefighters will work at the station per shift and there s a large kitchen with enough room for them to eat meals together On-duty fire crews take turns cooking for each other Firefighting is a tough job it s a mentally draining job and firefighters drink coffee together and share meals Smith reported If there s a tough call and we need to just talk about it this is an area where we do it The kitchen is the heartbeat of any fire station Home to first electric fire truck St Paul Fire Engine the department s new electric fire truck in its new home the new St Station No on Ross Ave in St Paul on Tuesday April John Autey Pioneer Press St Paul rolled out Engine last year which increased the department s fleet of engines by one It s the first electric fire truck in the state and is now permanently housed at Station The city is planning to purchase a second electric fire truck with a state grant Carter mentioned It s not just about cleaner potential the wagon is better Carter mentioned It s smaller and narrower which means it can fit into spaces that other rigs cannot It can also get water onto fires faster than diesel-powered fire engines he added Related Articles Minnesota gun-carry permit age drops from to after legal challenge MN state employee arrested for Tesla vandalism will not be charged Woodbury duplex destroyed in fire Trump s transportation authorities buck a long-held practice of using road diets to slow speeders Pedestrian dies after she s struck by teen driver in St Paul When the city funded the station in it was expected to cost about million but costs kept rising and the project had a million budget when they broke ground in The longer we waited the more expensive it got and the final cost was approved by the city at just over million Melquist mentioned It was funded by sales tax bonds and St Paul s Capital Improvement Budget plus million in federal funds according to the mayor s office The office hasn t made a decision about what will happen to the old station Firefighters have been working from the new station since April and Tuesday was the day of the ceremonial ribbon cutting