AKRON, Ohio — When Akronites overwhelmingly approved a tax increase under Issue 4 in 2017, they said “yes” to replacing long worn-out equipment for fire and police and to repairing more miles of city roadway each year.
Since then, Akron has built two new fire stations, opening both in 2019: Fire Station No. 2 in the Middlebury neighborhood and Fire Station No. 4 downtown, the largest and busiest station, housing fire services as well as Summit County HazMat and special rescue teams.
On Tuesday, the city broke ground again, this time for the $9.5 million, 15,000-square-foot Fire Station No. 12 in the Wallhaven neighborhood in West Akron.
At the site of the future station, 112 S. Hawkins St., Mayor Dan Horrigan thanked Akron for supporting Issue 4, which was Akron’s first tax hike for public services in 36 years. Bringing roughly $16 million to city coffers, the city has divided the money equally between fire, police and roads.
At 72 years old, Fire Station No. 12, which is “literally falling down around our ears,” is next in line, said Akron Fire Chief Joseph Natko. Yet six firefighters/medics went out on about 3,000 calls last year, a number of runs many cities don’t see in a year.
Natko described flooding in the parking lot and beams installed in the firehouse basement to support floors upon which sit heavy firetrucks and emergency vehicles, a scenario that existed in the other two stations before Issue 4 allowed them to be replaced.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Clarence Tucker was Akron fire chief when Issue 4 passed, and before that, a firefighter.
He remembers 20 years ago seeing chunks of concrete falling from the ceiling in the basement of his station, while he and his fellow firefighters wondered if the structure was safe, he said.
“Back in 2007, 2008, I can remember when the city put temporary supports down in that basement to hold that ceiling up, which also supported a firetruck and an ambulance,” he said.
In addition to two new fire stations and a new ladder truck designed specifically for Akron’s needs, the city said Issue 4 has also paid for all Akron fire stations to have vital equipment that looks like a large dryer but extracts carcinogens from the protective gear firefighters wear into fires.
It also provided a second set of that gear for each firefighter to rotate, to prevent them from wearing contaminated gear to a second fire during a shift, the city said, something most cities’ fire departments have, but Akron did not.
While campaigning for Issue 4, Tucker said 64% to 68% percent of all firefighters across the U.S. develop some type of cancer in their lifetime.
Akron’s Fire Station No. 12 will not have carcinogens in the same area where firefighters sleep, he said at the groundbreaking.
“It brings the newest technology, the newest everything that we can bring to this station to help them do the job that they need to do,” he said. “And all of this is only due because the citizens of Akron overwhelmingly supported this measure to help us get to here today.”
Deputy Chief of Operations Richard Vober, who serves on the design team for the new station, said the station is designed to protect the overall health of firefighters.
“The design of the station was built around health and safety for members of the fire department, looking at mental health, heart health and cancer prevention,” Vober said.
Natko said the new station will have three bays, adding room for an additional emergency vehicle, and nine bedrooms to house additional staffing, if needed.
“So, we're very excited, hoping next year, summertime about that, we can open the new station and have a grand opening,” he said, adding the department is discussing where the next new station might be.
Akron City Councilman Russel Neal Jr. told those gathered the new station will be unique in other ways, including offering a community meeting place and space for police.