Ribbon cutting held for new Joplin fire station

(From the City of Joplin)

Joplin Mayor Melodee Colbert-Kean and City Council Members joined other community leaders and Joplin firefighters today in a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House at the Fire Station #6. Located at 5302 West 32nd Street, the construction of this station was recently completed, and firefighters moved into the facility in mid-April.

The Joplin Fire Department currently provides emergency services to the community’s 45 square miles from the five fire stations. With the City’s growth, the past several years, some areas of the community were extending beyond recommended distances from the existing five stations, and response times were starting to stretch to limits that concerned City officials. As a component of the Public Safety needs analysis in 2006, a study recommended the addition of a station on the City’s far west side to service existing residents and future development.

“The southwest portion of Joplin has experienced much growth in the last few years,” said Fire Chief Mitch Randles. “This station is strategically located to address that growth and the future development of the area.”

The Fire Station is a 9,600 square foot facility and includes a safe room for the on-duty crew. It has six bedrooms, an exercise room and a decontamination room. The facility will have three double depth drive-thru bays. The Station is also being built to meet the LEEDS Silver requirements for energy efficiency and sustainability, and is also being built with expansion considerations, if that is warranted in the future. Fifteen firefighters will be assigned to Station #6, and work 24-hour shifts as crews of four. This brings the total of Fire Department personnel to 95, after the additional 15 firefighters are added  

Other building details include:

·        Digital temperature controls within heating and cooling system;

·        Increased insulation values;

·        Low-flow plumbing systems and low consumption fixtures;

·        Electrical system featuring energy efficient fixtures with occupancy sensors;

·        Architectural features of metal roof, minimal paving, natural landscaping, low maintenance building materials, and recycled building

The architect for the project was CR Architecture & Design, and Branco Enterprises Inc. was the contractor. Cost of the facility’s construction was$1,860,000. This project and the staffing for Station #6  are funded by the Public Safety Tax initiative that was approved by voters in November 2006 election.