INDIANAPOLIS — Wayne Township firefighters are moving in and getting used to their new digs and plan to show it off to the community at a ribbon cutting and open house from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 10. Station 82 is at 5401 W. Washington St.
The estimated $5.2 million project started with a demolition back in October of 2011.
At that time, the firefighters took their equipment and set up shop with several other departments to ensure the same coverage throughout the construction process.
“The old firehouse was in terrible condition,” said Michael Pruitt of the Wayne Township Fire Department. “It was a renovated grocery store and served as a fire house for several years. The maintenance on the building and the problems that were existing became very expensive and it just wasn’t a good environment for people that had to live 24 hours in a fire house.”
Pruitt said the project was completed on scheduled, thanks to the dry summer that provided what he called “good construction weather.”
“(The firefighters) are in it now,” he said. “We basically moved them in, got everything in, and are just finishing the punch list of little items that need to be completed. We’ve had all good comments. It’s been quite a change from what they were originally in. The building itself is an extremely nice building.”
Pruitt said the look of it, he hopes, will encourage others in the area.
“It’s a centerpiece here on the west side that maybe will promote some of the other businesses and buildings around the area to maybe improve their sites also,” he said.
Pruitt said that the main challenge for the displaced station for the past year was finding places for all their equipment. The medic truck, fire engine, ladder truck, and battalion fire chief vehicles were all sprinkled around other departments.
“The challenges were also finding accommodations for those other individuals so if we had to split them up and spread them out, we could still provide for the community, and we did that,” he said.
He said they were fortunate to have access to a home that was near one of their other stations in the area that they were able to convert into a temporary fire house. They then built a pole barn next to the house to house the engine and medic truck.
“It was a lot of planning to make sure we got people moved in and make sure we can still provide good service,” he said.
Updates on the WTFD can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/waynetwpfdindy or on Twitter @waynetwpfire.
Just the facts
WHAT: Ribbon cutting/open house
WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 10
WHERE: Station 82, 5401 W. Washington St.
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