DAVENPORT, Iowa — As calls come in to the Davenport Fire Department, crews will leave from a new building now that the new fire station is nearly complete.
"To provide a nice place for our firefighters to work from, I feel very, very good about that," said Chief Lynn Washburn, Davenport Fire Department. Chief Washburn said the firehouse is coming to fruition because of the work of a collective group of firefighters past and present.
The new fire headquarters features eco-friendly upgrades including low-e glass doors in the utilities bay, where fire trucks and engines park. Safety was another priority in the design of the firehouse. Trucks will arrive to the station on third street and exit on fourth street.
Inside the firehouse, computers and desk space contribute to the fire department's new push for better records management. Chief Washburn stressed the importance of having enough technology, and that the new station meets the department's demand.
"We want to be sure the information we are getting into our system is going to be valuable, so that when we pull it out it's really telling a story," said Chief Washburn.
Another change in the new station will be the bedrooms. In the old station, everyone slept in one dorm-style room. Now, firefighters will get their own bedroom.
You can talk to your spouse or your kids and have a little privacy we'll have some cultural things inside the fire department to deal with, things aren't quite the same as they used to be," said Mike Ryan, Davenport Fire Department.
The kitchen in the new fire station has gray granite countertops and several spots to sit at and island. It's open concept layout has a large dining room table. The table was custom-built by members of the Davenport Fire Department.
"They spend a lot of time in the kitchen and being that they cook all their own food this is a good place for them to be," said Chief Washburn.
The need for a new station was originally discussed back in the 80's, but never came to fruition. The new station is now 95-percent complete. The old portion of the fire station is in the beginning stages of construction. It will be administrative offices and is set to be finished in November - December, 2016. The entire project has a price tag of $15.2 million.