The pride shown by Mayor Karl Nail and City Manager Kevin Self during Friday’s grand opening and ribbon cutting at Fire Station #1 may have only been eclipsed by the emotion Self showed while talking about the new facility.
Both spoke passionately about the fire station, how the City finally arrived at Friday’s moment after years of planning, and the amenities of the new facility; however, Self, the former fire chief, was noticeably sentimental as he spoke.
He noted that the fire department had grown considerably over the years, and said the new facility was built to last for generations and will serve to house future firefighters, as well as today’s firefighters.
Self said it had only been 459 days since the city had a ground breaking on the facility. Fire Chief Todd Yates said the old Fire Station #1 was blowing the seams, and the new facility went from an empty field at ground breaking to what you see today. It will immediately fulfill the needs of 22 fulltime firefighters including the chief, and 12 volunteers.
Mayor Karl Nail said the city has saved, struggled and even driven out of their way to see community fire stations in anticipation of building this one.
Nail reiterated that the new facility will serve generationally. He said this facility is just the beginning, and the citizenry will see more facilities like this one.
Assistant city manager Jeanette McNally, who was the master of ceremonies, welcomed members of the public to the facility and noted that the new Fire Station #1 replaces one built in 1967, a time when Newcastle was only a fraction of the size it is now, she said.
McNally said, “The new facility is a testament to how far we’ve come and how much farther we plan to go together.”
Other speakers at the grand opening included: Billy Collier, senior minister at Newcastle Christian Church; and Guernsey architect Maria Prado, who designed the facility.
After the ribbon cutting, a Push-In Ceremony was held by firefighters. Chief Yates said it is a tradition deeply rooted in the history of fire service, which originated in the 1800s.
“This tradition harks back to a time when firefighters relied on horse-drawn equipment to respond to emergencies,” Yates said. “After returning from a call, they would meticulously wash down their apparatus and push it back into the bay as a symbol of unity and readiness for the next alarm.”
Newcastle’s firefighters wetted down Engine 4, and then provided members of the public with microfiber towels to assist in drying the rig. After drying it, firefighters physically pushed the rig into the bay area of Fire Station #1.
Members of the public in attendance were also treated to free hamburgers from Pioneer and dessert from OEC & OEC Fiber. They were given tours of the new facility and could watch demonstrations of equipment and fire apparatus, and try on firefighter bunker gear.
