The city of Pueblo is giving its residents a whole new layer of security. Construction, the city has just announced, will soon begin work on three new fire stations, fire stations that not only are long overdue but central to improving both public and worker safety.
The $36 million project will replace stations in a way that will not only make response times faster, but also make in-station time for firefighters not just more comfortable but dramatically safer.
For years, fire stations had been built on a purely practical level. There was open space, essentially a garage-like area for trucks and fire equipment, sleeping quarters and kitchen and dining space. It was a very nuts-and-bolts approach and, in a 21st century world, severely antiquated in so many ways.
Studies have shown that firefighters regularly deal with a variety of hidden dangers encountered on calls, including hazardous chemicals. These toxins come not only from the structures that may be burning but also from chemicals used to douse the blaze. Firefighters can also bring chemical residue back to the station, on both gear and equipment, including trucks. Some of these chemicals have been proven to be carcinogenic, agents that have been linked to cancer.
It is a given that firefighters, whether fighting a blaze in a new or decades-old structure, will encounter hazardous chemicals. On nearly every structure fire, first responders can encounter asbestos, formaldehyde, benzene or scores of other dangerous chemical elements. Firefighters can be exposed when breathing or absorbtion through their skin.
According to the American Cancer Society, studies have shown that rates of colon, prostate, testicular and melanoma cancers are higher among firefighters than in other occupations. One dramatic lesson about carci- nogenic threats occurred on 9/11. Scores of firefighters responding to the attacks were later diagnosed with cancers linked to inhaling airborne carcinogens. Many of these cancers were fatal. In one European study, it was reported that firefighters there who were exposed to dangerous chemicals were diagnosed at a rate three times higher than the general population for prostate cancer and leukemia.
While many of these dangers have long been suspected or documented, a 2020 seminar on modern stations attended by city officials only confirmed that the Pueblo project required quick attention. Fire stations, the seminar confirmed, needed better ventilation to keep personnel away from equipment exhaust. The same for equipment possibly coated with hazardous. A safe zone for decontamination was essential.
“COVID was the real awakening for ventilation (issues) and having separate bedrooms,” said Pueblo Fire Chief Barb Huber. Because a fire station is essentially a ‘home away from home’ for firefighters, the new stations will also incorporate personal health and wellness amenities. They will also separate firefighter sleeping quarters by gender.
Across the nation, fire departments have gradually drifted away from the traditional 24-hour on, 48 hours off shifts. “We have changed our schedules,” said Huber. Pueblo’s firefighters now operate on a 48/96 routine. They remain on duty for two days and are off the next four days. She said it’s a better approach to the job for both the mental and physical health of crews.
Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar said the new stations have been a priority for him since taking office in 2020. “We have been planning for these stations…and they are coming to fruition.” The stations will serve Pueblo’s eastside and Belmont areas, said Gradisar, as well as “serve a developing area on the west side.”
The placement of the three new stations will upgrade not only the facilities but better serve each community with better response times, said Huber. “All of the stations will be within six or five minutes (response time).” In firefighting a single minute can be crucial.
The long-established East Fourth Street station has been in place for more than sixty years. The facility has undergone repairs and improvements over the years. But Huber said when an analysis was done about an over-all renovation to bring it up to standard, it was determined that it made better economic sense to simply shut it down and replace it with something new.
Construction on the three new structures will begin in early 2024, said Huber. “I’m hoping to open in Spring of 2025.” The trio of new stations will follow sequentially with the last dedication ostensibly projected for late Spring of 2025.
