Mansfield firefighters set to move into new station in May

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Mansfield’s downtown fire station is taking a step up, moving into the city’s only two-story station in May.

The $12 million new Fire Station No. 1 is less than a mile from the current facility, moving from 202 S. Main St. to 203 S. Walnut Creek Drive, but there will be a world of difference, firefighters say, and not just in the way the new station looks, although that will be a big change, too.

“That facility no longer supports what we need in Mansfield,” Assistant Chief Noel Saldivar said of the current station. “The day-to-day minimums were no longer being met. The call volume, response times and growth of the city, being able to get from the station to the scene times were no longer being met.”

The problem is not just that Mansfield has more people to serve, but where they are. The new location, which is near the intersection of Walnut Creek Drive and East Broad Street, will avoid the traffic congestion on Main Street and allow for better access to the southern part of the city. The new building will also have updated equipment and space for male and female firefighters, plus safety features to protect the firefighters who live there.

“We have cold, warm and hot zones,” explained Division Chief Kyle Wright. “The bay is a hot zone with diesel, the sides are warm zones. There are air locks to keep the carcinogens out that firefighters are exposed to.”

The new station will be 17,400 square feet and feature eight private dorm rooms, a massive kitchen/living area, two captains’ offices/bedrooms, fitness facility, entry way for public access, baby box for infant surrenders and meeting rooms.

“The station will have state-of-the-art amenities with a timeless feel,” Saldivar said. “This station could be in New York or Chicago with all new amenities. This station will be in the community and be a part of the community.”

In addition to being the only two-story station, the new facility will have other unique features, including two brass fire poles, a second-floor patio and four massive glass bay doors.

“Martinez (Architects) came in and said we want to build something that fits your needs,” Wright said. “Because of the shape of the lot, a two-story was the best bet. We wanted a timeless look.”

The fire poles are actually a practical feature, he said.

‍

“(In other two-story fire stations) the guys had to run up and down stairs,” Wright said.”Guys started complaining about their knees. They wished they had poles.”

The brass poles have trap doors that open automatically when someone starts to slide down them, and red lights that flash. The one on the front of the building is enclosed in glass so that anyone driving past the station can watch the firefighters go down the pole.

“The (firefighters) come by and look at the new station frequently,” Wright said. “They are all excited about the space and have all secretly been down the pole.”

The four glass bay doors are also a safety feature, opening horizontally instead of vertically.

“In a fire truck, it’s hard to see overhead when the door comes down,” Wright said.

The station can sleep up to 11 personnel with seven per shift (eight after Oct. 1) on three shifts.

The new station will house Battalion 1 (a pickup), Medic 1 (ambulance), Quint (firetruck with ladder) and Squad 1 (support truck with extra supplies). Each apparatus has life-support capabilities, Saldivar said. All Mansfield firefighters are also certified EMTs.

The fire department will bring some important things from the old station to the new facility, including the fire bell, which has been refinished and will be housed in the entry way. Firefighters will also bring the Fire Station No. 1 logo, which features the current station’s resident ghost.

The downtown station has long been rumored to be haunted by an older woman and a child that plays in the bays. Ghost hunters have even filmed at the building. Wright, who has worked for the Mansfield Fire Department for 20 years, said he hasn’t come face to face with any spooks, he has seen cabinets open and close and the television come off and on in the downtown building.

The current building was built in 1998, and will be used to store equipment until early 2027, when the fire department will vacate the facility. The structure will be torn down and the space used for a later phase of the Watermill District, a retail and dining area currently under construction on Main Street.