Lexington opens its first new fire station in 12-years

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Lexington opened its first new fire station in a dozen years with at a ribbon cutting.

Fire Station 2 on Eastland Drive has been operating for a few weeks, but the official opening was on Thursday.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Urban County Councilmembers and Lexington Fire Chief Kristin Chilton are among those that attended.

“This replacement station…the first new firehouse we’ve built since 2005…is essential to serve this growing part of our city,” Gray said. “Public safety is our top priority, and that means making sure our firehouses can meet the needs of the areas they serve.”

Chilton said, “The new station will help to improve response times to emergency situations and better serve Lexington’s rapidly growing population.”

Councilmember Bill Farmer, whose District is home to Fire Station 2, said the new building is a “grand step up over the original county station it now replaces. The Winchester corridor from Hamburg to Midland, and all the neighborhoods close by, can rest easier knowing that our fire professionals are now even closer at hand,” Farmer said.

The new building replaces the old Station 2, a building with a history. “Before the city and county merged in 1973, the old Station 2, located at 415 East New Circle Road, was the headquarters for the Fayette County fire and police departments,” Chilton said. “The left side of the station used to be the police department, and even had several holding cells in it.” Following the creation of the merged government, the building became Lexington Fire Department Station 2.

In 2016, Station 2 responded to 6,976 EMS calls and 2,383 Fire calls. That’s 9,359 emergency runs for the year, the busiest in the city.

The new $5.1 million station, located at 1276 Eastland Drive, is designed to be energy efficient with geo-thermal heat and LED lighting.

The 14,523-square-foot station will house Engine 2, Ladder 5, Emergency Care Ambulance 8 and a District Supervisor, who oversees other fire stations.

“This will become the new hub of fire department activity for the east and northeast sides of town,” says Chilton.