It houses a handful of full-time firefighters that say they’re happy to be back in the station Wednesday night.  

A kitchen fire closed it down that fall with significant structure and smoke damage through the building. The cause was due to a stove accidentally left on while crews responded to a fire down the street.  

The new fire station features more space inside and better air circulation to prevent diesel and toxins from fire engines getting inside the building.

Begun last October, the station was designed and built by Cincinnati United Contractors. Firefighters were dispatch on their first run – a medical call – from the station on Wednesday. “I’m proud of our township team because we were able to bring this project in under budget and ahead of schedule,’’ said Shannon Hartkemeyer, president of the board of trustees. Originally budgeted at $4 million, final cost came in at $3.8 million, Hartkemeyer explained.  The 15,750-square foot, single-story, brick station with a steel roof, sits on a three-acre site on the west side of Gilmore Road near the StoryPoint senior housing complex.