By Jill Kelley
The Dayton Daily News
KETTERING, Ohio — Kettering will host a public meeting Thursday to discuss the city’s plan to revamp its fire operations. The city, which currently has seven fire stations, would like to go to a five-station model. Under that plan, city officials want to keep one current station and build four new stations at locations throughout the city, including a new station on Far Hills Avenue to replace Fire Station No. 3 and serve as the linchpin of the department’s reorganization.
Kettering officials are considering a plan to revamp the city’s fire operations. The plan calls for tearing down six of the city’s seven stations and building four stations at new locations throughout the city, including one on Far Hills Avenue. The proposed changes were prompted by the increased demands on modern fire departments and the larger equipment needed to meet those demands.
City officials will hold a public information meeting Thursday about the possible construction of a new fire station at 3484 Far Hills Ave., and how that station could be the linchpin of a large-scale reorganization of Kettering fire stations.
According to City Manager Mark Schwieterman, the multimillion-dollar project would be paid for over time by the city’s EMS fund. The city gains about $1 million per year through that fund, and has about $11 million saved.
“We knew this day was coming,” Schwieterman said.
According to Kettering City Planner Ron Hundt, the fire department would go from its current seven fire stations to a five-station model. The department would keep Station 33 on Bobbie Place, tear down the six other stations and build four new sites, including the proposed station on Far Hills.
“It’s part of a program to look at our stations and see what needs we have, and to update and modernize them,” Hundt said. “The oldest one (Station 31 on Dixie Drive) was built before we were a city, before 1955. All of these stations are being looked at for upgrade or replacement.”
Acting Kettering Fire Chief Terry Jones said the staffing, equipment and demands of fire departments have changed drastically in the past 10 to 15 years, and the five-model plan was developed specifically for Kettering during the past 16 months.
“The old stereotype of firefighters sitting around playing checkers just doesn’t fit,” Jones said. “Now you can call us an emergency services department; if an emergency isn’t criminal in nature, you’re calling the fire department.”
Fire departments are responsible for EMS calls, hazardous materials response, technical rescue disciplines, Homeland Security issues, state- and federally mandated training and more - in addition to fighting fires.
“All the sites we have right now are too small, and we can’t fit all the modern-day equipment in our old stations,” Jones said. “For example, Station 32 (on West Dorothy Lane) was built in 1973. It has 6,435 square feet, an engine ladder and a medic. A new station would require 12,600 square feet to house the same apparatus and staff.”
Jones said a good example of a modern fire station is Beaver-creek Twp. Fire Department Station 64 on Indian Ripple Road. The 16,354-square-foot, state-of-the-art station was completed in the fall.
Location also would be key to the plan, which would be based on the way the city has evolved and where fire stations would best meet the current needs of residents.
“Station 33 would be east-central, and the new station (on Far Hills) would be west-central,” Jones said. “A key component of the plan is to solidify those two positions.”
The access to Ohio 48, as well as main thoroughfares such as Dorothy Lane and Stroop Road, were cited as benefits, as well.
Jones said the staffing of career firefighters should not be reduced, and response time should not be affected by the plan.
The public meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fairmont High School Auditorium, 3301 Shroyer Road.
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