Firefighters were joined by local officials on Monday to ceremoniously break ground on the $7.1 million project to completely rebuild Owensboro Fire Department Station 3. The new firehouse will feature expanded spaces, including modernized daytime/nighttime areas, administrative offices, and upgraded apparatus bays, all designed to enhance firefighter safety and response capability. There’s also a major focus on further protecting firefighters from cancer-causing substances.
The replacement of Station 3 is the latest step in the City’s Operation Firehouse Initiative – a $30 million investment aimed at improving the fire facilities throughout Owensboro.
Initially built in 1973, the current station will be replaced with a two-story structure at 2633 Cravens Avenue.
“This is a really good location based on the needs of our community in the northwest area of the city,” said OFD Chief James Howard.
Howard called the groundbreaking a benchmark for OFD.
“It’s a great time to be a member of the Owensboro Fire Department, much less the chief. We’ve seen a tremendous will to make the proper investment from this City, to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to public safety,” he said.
The new station will have upgraded and individual sleeping quarters; an extra, modernized apparatus bay to accommodate advanced firefighting equipment; doors on each side of all three bays to allow trucks to drive through rather than having to back in; the City’s first fire pole to accommodate anyone on the second floor; and new admin offices.
The new station will also include a decontamination area to help lower the exposure to cancer-causing substances that often linger after a job has been completed. In this area, firefighters can take their gear off, place it into bunker washing, have stations to dry the gear, and cleanse themselves before entering the living quarters.
“This station is going to take advantage of what we’ve learned about how you can make spaces better to promote physical and mental fitness for firefighters,” Howard said. “The truth is a 53-year-old building is not a very old building in a lot of respects, but the fire service has changed a lot. We’ve learned that we need spaces that prioritize certain things, especially when it comes to physical fitness and space to learn and be more prepared to do this job. It will also allow the times in between the runs to really pay off so we can be ready for the next run.”
Construction will soon begin on the project, with an estimated completion date of January 2026. During construction, Station 3 crews will operate from another facility in the area.
“We want to provide our firefighters with what they deserve so that they can provide the community with the safety and emergency response that it deserves, because that is our aim,” Howard said.
Soon, the City will celebrate the grand opening of a state-of-the-art fire training facility off JR Miller Boulevard. Then focus will turn toward the next Operation Firehouse project – a new Fire Station 1, located off 9th Street. The City has already started the planning process for this project, including purchasing properties next to the current building so the new one can be expanded.
“We are excited about the future and look forward to seeing the difference each new facility will make,” said Mayor Tom Watson.
