New fire station unveiled

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue’s Station 53 has all the bells and whistles.

A renovation and expansion project is complete and the building is almost ready to be fully operational, according to Fire Chief Jerry Helm. To celebrate this accomplishment, the department invited local leaders and community members to the building’s grand opening and open house Saturday.

The fire station, located at 1164 Race Road in Coupeville, went through extensive improvements that were made possible thanks to a $5 million bond that voters approved in 2017 and a $2.75 million grant that Rep. Dave Paul, Rep. Clyde Shavers and Sen. Ron Muzzall supported last year to allow the department to complete the project.

Former Fire Chief Ed Hartin, who retired in 2022, was among the guest speakers at the ceremony.

“Everything good that happens in this organization and in this community is when people work together,” he said.

Helm expects the 13,000-square-foot facility will become fully operational by the end of next week, after the last inspections and adjustments are made. Currently, the only spaces in use are the administrative offices.

The new building is much larger than its predecessor, which Helm estimated was 4,000 square feet smaller. Furthermore, it fosters better health and safety conditions.

At the old station, firefighters kept themselves in shape in the apparatus bay, where they were exposed to the fire engine’s toxic exhaust emissions. Now, crews can work out in a separate fitness room, while the apparatus bay — or the station’s garage — has a diesel exhaust extraction system that prevents the build-up of toxic fumes that would otherwise spread to the rest of the building.

After a rescue mission, firefighters can now decontaminate themselves by taking a shower in one of the six bathrooms and decontaminate their gear with a specialized washer. The gear washer room is under negative pressure, forcing toxic particles to be vacuumed into the outside.

These changes are meant to reduce the risk of cancer, Helm said.

At the old station, firefighters had to hang their gear by the fire engines, further exposing them to toxic fumes. Now, the clean gear is hung in a separate room, away from the garage and UV lights, which can damage the PPE fabric of the gear.

Staff would also sleep in a trailer parked in the parking lot that could host three to four people at a time. The new station has four bedrooms with two beds each for staff members and volunteers.

It also features a kitchen, which, according to Firefighter John Lloyd, used to be in a separate building.

According to Helm and Lloyd, having bedrooms and a kitchen in the building allows firefighters to respond to emergencies quicker as they no longer have to run from one place to another.

The kitchen includes three refrigerators, as one proved to be insufficient for the crew at the old station.

Another perk is the creation of six separate offices, which provide more privacy and improve focus. At the old station, the desks were placed in what Lloyd described as a hallway that didn’t allow much privacy or quiet for Zoom meetings or other assignments. For in-person meetings, the building also provides a conference room.

The station’s training room might be able to be used by community members for club meetings and public events, a service that was provided in the pre-pandemic days, according to Lloyd.

The fitness room. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

The new building features a large kitchen with three refrigerators, which would also accommodate additional firefighters/EMTs funded with the levy that was passed in November. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

Rep. Dave Paul, Rep. Clyde Shavers and Capt. Eric Hanks from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island cut the ribbon at the new fire station. (Photo by Luisa Loi)