MOORE — The new main fire station that is a key part of Moore’s $8.5 million update of its fire department is almost half done, city officials said.

The 19,000-square-foot station is under construction south of SW 19 and west of Telephone Road. Depending on weather, it could be complete as early as April, officials said.

Visible from the outside now is a clock tower on the south side that will mark the main public entrance of the $4.5 million fire station. The station has four high arched doors for its fire engine bays, which are long enough to house two trucks each.

The exterior of the building is trimmed in red.

"We had to put something red on it to make it look like a firehouse,” Moore Fire Chief Charles Stephens said.

Stephens said he and a committee that included firefighters, city staff members and city council members had a voice in planning the station.

"Everybody kind of had a vote,” he said.

The station, which is about 14,000 square feet larger than the existing main station, features room to grow, Stephens said. He estimates that the station will be "good for 40, 50 years, minimum.”

The station has a dorm area with eight bedroom areas separated by partitions. Three firefighters, one from each shift, will take turns using the bedrooms, which will be equipped with a bed, locker and desk, Stephens said.

While the bedrooms are not totally private, they do offer firefighters a quiet space to rest or study, he said. The department has no female firefighters, but an enclosed bedroom and separate bathroom have been included for use by women in the future, Stephens said.

Construction also is under way on two new fire substations, Station 3 at NE 12 and Bryant, to serve northeast Moore, and Station 4 at SE 34 and Sunnylane Road, to improve coverage of southeast Moore.

The two identical $2 million substations will have 8,600 square feet of space.

To ensure continued coverage of northeast Moore, Station 3 must be complete before the main fire station can move into its new quarters off SW 19, Moore City Manager Steve Eddy said.

The new main station will replace the existing station at 115 E Main, which is to be torn down next year for construction of a new police complex.

The existing Station 3, located at 1805 S Eastern Ave., will be converted to another use after the crew moves.

No changes are planned for Station 2, 725 NW 12.

Funding for the fire department project comes from a four-year, half-cent sales tax that went into effect in April 2007.

Read more: NewsOK

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