ODESSA, TEXAS/JANUARY 21, 2021-ODESSA FIRE RESCUE IS PLANNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FIRE STATION. FIRE STATION NUMBER 9 WILL BE LOCATED IN NORTH EAST ODESSA ON 87TH STREET IN THE LAWNDALE DIVISION EAST OF BICE ELEMENTARY. IN AUGUST OF 2019 THE CITY OF ODESSA AQUIRED CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, THAT ALLOWED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FIRE STATION AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
(FIRE CHIEF JOHN ALVAREZ, ODESSA FIRE RESCUE-ODESSA, TEXAS)
“ODESSA FIRE RESCUE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN $24 MILLION OUT OF THAT OBLIGATION AH CERTIFICATE. AND SO, WE’VE BEEN AH, TASKED TO BUILD TWO FIRE STATIONS. ONE, IS TO REBUILD FIRE STATION NUMBER 6, WHICH IN ON BRENTWOOD AND GRANDVIEW RIGHT NOW. WE’RE GOING BE MOVING THAT ON TO PENBROOK AND GRANVIEW.”
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, FIRE STATION 8 WAS LOCATED IN THE LAWNDALE AREA. DUE TO SLOW GROWTH IN NORTH EAST ODESSA STATION 8 WAS MOVED TO YUKON ROAD NEAR DIXIE BLV. BUT, NOW THAT THE LAWNDALE DIVISION IS EXPANINDING, FIRE STATION NINE WILL HELP IMPROVE RESPONSE TIME AND HAVE BETTER COVERAGE OF THAT AREA.
(FIRE CHIEF JOHN ALVAREZ, ODESSA FIRE RESCUE-ODESSA, TEXAS)
“LAST YEAR WE MADE CLOSE TO 20 THOUSAND RUN AND, AND THAT’S WITH EIGHT FIRE STATIONS. STATION 8 WILL GIVE US MORE PERSONNEL AND MORE APPERATUS, ANOTHER AMBULANCE, ANOTHER FIRE TRUCK, AND IT WILL HELP US EXPAND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND IT WILL HELP WITH THE COVERAGE OUT IN GARDENDALE, GOLDSMITH AND THOSE AREAS, AS WELL.”
THE NEW FIRE STATION WILL BE A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY WITH 4 BAYS, WITH ACCORDION STYLE DOORS INSTEAD OF AN OVERHEAD GARAGE TYPE DOOR. IT WILL BE A 6 PERSON STATION. IT WILL HAVE DORMS, A LIVING ROOM AND A KITCHEN. FIRE STATION NUMBER 9 WILL ALSO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE FOR THE ODESSA POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE NEW STATION DESIGN WILL HAVE A CLEAN ZONE TO REDUCE CANCER CAUSING EXHAUST.
(FIRE CHIEF JOHN ALVAREZ, ODESSA FIRE RESCUE-ODESSA, TEXAS)
“ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IT’S PART OF THE SIXTEEN LIFE SAFETY INICIATIVES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’VE BEEN TASKED AS AN ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE CANCER HAS BECOME VERY PREVALENT IN THE FIRE SERVICE. OKAY, AND SO, THE YEARS OF US BACKING INTO THE FIRE STATION WITH THE EXHAUST, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THOSE CARCINOGENS OUT OF THE FIRE STATIONS. AND SO, WE HAVE DESIGNED IT ALONG WITH JSA ARCHETECH. WE DESIGNED IT WHERE YOU’VE GOT A HOT ZONE, WHICH IS YOUR TRUCK ROOM AND YOU’VE GOT A WARM ZONE, WHICH IS A TRANSITIONAL ZONE, BEFORE YOU COME INTO THE FIRE STATION WHERE IT WILL BE CLEAN.
TAG: THE COST OF FIRE STATION NUMBER 9 IS ESTIMATED CLOSE TO $6 MILLION DOLLARS. GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION IS SCHEDULED SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, PENDING ODESSA CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
FOR DRB MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS DIGITAL NEWS, DANNY BARRERA.
