By Jennifer Rios
San Angelo Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Firefighters at San Angelo Station No. 7 on Executive Drive began their day with truck maintenance in the station’s new drive-thru bay. Next came coffee, then wiping down the new stainless steel countertops and cleaning through the rest of the building - not an easy task for an 11,000-square-foot station.
The department moved into Station No. 7 and the identical Station No. 5, at 3351 Barry Ave., last month.
Each station, which replaced ones built in 1976 and 1963 respectively, cost about $1.8 million. Construction crews broke ground on the projects in August 2010.
The old f ire halls “were getting to the end of their life expectancy,” Fire Chief Brian Dunn said.
Firefighters in Station No. 7 say they won’t miss the overall dingy atmosphere or the dormitorystyle bedrooms of their previous firehouse.
Darin Wright has spent the majority of his nine-year career at the old station.
“We used to have a guy who snored so loud, another guy would stockpile (stuffed animals and pillows) across the room to throw at the guy so he wouldn’t have to get out of bed,” he said.
Since the move, Wright said he’s enjoying the new spacious layout; including a back porch where he takes his coffee and newspaper.
New flat-screen televisions, sofas and framed photos of San Angelo’s firefighters were carried into the station Thursday.
An opening ceremony will be held Saturday for Station 7 and Tuesday for Station 5. The public is invited to tour the new buildings between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Also Saturday, the United Way of the Concho Valley and the station will host a brisket lunch with proceeds benefiting the United Way.
Making the transition from the old station to the new building a block away has been smooth for the three shifts who share the rooms.
Dunn said one of the biggest improvements for the station was a drive-thru bay that allows f iretrucks and ambulances quicker response times. The stations were built before ambulances were added, Assistant Chief Greg Boyle said, so maneuvering the trucks took time away from calls.
Dunn said the station mans an ambulance and fire engine and houses a ladder truck and reserve ambulance.
Lt. Billy Price, who has been with the department 20 years, described the new station as “much cleaner.”
They left behind old mattresses, asbestosbacked tiles and a community bathroom with a hole through the cinder block behind one of the commodes.
What they gained was a washroom for tools and medic gear attached to the bay, a room for bunker gear and an office for the battalion chief or lieutenant on shift. Because physical training is mandatory, an indoor workout room also was a feature that was welcomed.
At the old station, weight sets were kept outside in the garage.
“When it’s 100 degrees outside, it was pretty miserable,” Price said.
The two stations, the city’s oldest, were cleaned by the crews living there and will be put up for sale.
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