By Hannah Drown
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s fire stations are old — 87% are more than 40 years old — and the city has developed a roughly $245 million plan to repair, renovate or replace them.
The plan, presented this week to Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee, calls for about $30 million in repairs, $65 million to renovate or expand 12 stations and $150 million to replace 10 stations.
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The city’s fire stations average about 66 years old. The oldest operating station, Fire Station 24, was built in 1910. The newest, Station 26, opened in 2025.
The study, conducted over roughly two years by the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects, the city’s fire and EMS divisions and outside architects, examined all 24 existing stations.
The goal is to address aging buildings while bringing stations closer to modern standards for firefighter and EMS worker safety.
That includes creating a buffer between living quarters and areas where fire trucks are parked, improving ventilation, providing female quarters at every station, adding drive-through apparatus bays and improving accessibility.
The city also wants to improve how EMS operations are housed. Seven EMS units currently operate from locations outside fire stations, and officials said the goal is to bring EMS back into fire stations where possible while continuing to strategically stage ambulances around the city.
The 12 stations identified for renovation are considered good candidates because they are in reasonable condition, in good locations, and have enough property for additions or other improvements.
The 10 stations proposed for replacement generally are older, have difficult layouts or sit on properties that do not provide enough room to expand.
Officials described the $245 million figure as a preliminary estimate in today’s dollars. The presentation put the total at about $241.4 million, which officials rounded to $245 million.
Mark Duluk, the city architect, cautioned that the cost will change as individual projects are designed and bid. He also warned that delaying construction could make the work more expensive as construction costs continue to rise.
Council members focused much of their questioning on where replacement stations would be built and whether those locations would maintain or improve emergency response times.
Councilman Charles Slife asked for the city’s analysis of response times at existing and proposed station locations, as well as information on call volumes and whether some parts of the city have gaps in fire or EMS coverage.
City officials said they use response-time data to evaluate potential locations before moving a station. Former school sites and other available city property are among the locations being considered.
Some replacement sites have been identified, while others have not.
Slife also questioned whether the city should consider additional standalone EMS facilities in areas with high call volumes and how changes in ambulance destination policies have affected response times.
Councilwoman Nikki Hudson pressed officials on how the 10 replacement stations would be prioritized, saying worker health and safety should be a major consideration.
City officials said there is not yet an overall replacement schedule. One exception is the Madison Avenue station, where the city is pursuing land and has funding in its capital budget for future design and construction. Officials are also working to secure sites for other replacement stations.
Hudson also questioned the plan’s treatment of vehicle exhaust, particularly at older stations where living quarters are close to apparatus bays.
Duluk said many stations already have newer exhaust systems, but he agreed that individual systems will be reviewed as projects move forward. Hudson requested indoor air-quality studies, particularly at stations with older layouts.
The city will also have to manage temporary disruptions as stations are renovated or replaced.
Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond said residents and council members would be notified before work began that could require a station to temporarily close. Fire apparatus would be moved to other stations to maintain emergency coverage.
At the Walton School site, the city has identified a potential future location for Fire Station 24. But funding to build the replacement station has not yet been identified or scheduled.
The city has not yet hired contractors for the broader modernization program. The $245 million plan provides a framework for future projects, but council members are seeking more detailed information on costs, locations, response times and worker safety before those projects move forward.
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