The four proposals range in estimated cost from between $1.85 million to about $4 million. Saccoccio said those numbers represent a wide range to encompass all the eventualities, but the true cost won’t be known until the design process proceeds.

The current 40-year-old building lacks adequate space for vehicle maintenance and storage, and could hamper a quicker response to an emergency, Saccoccio said.

The first design would be the most expensive, but Saccoccio said it represents the ideal modern fire station. Located on the same site, it would have four bays that could fit two trucks stacked one behind the other each, plus office and training space around the perimeter.

"The strategic location of the fire station will provide quick access to the Highway 316 corridor and puts fire and emergency medical personnel close to the college and surrounding neighborhoods and businesses," Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in a news release.

Muscatine Fire’s Hazardous Incident Response Team was able to lower a fire department rescuer to the trapped worker through a rigging system. Both the worker and the rescuer were then lowered from the basket to a series of catwalks, and eventually the ground level. The entire rescue took about six hours in extreme heat and low visibility.

"This was an extremely dangerous and critical high angle rope rescue that was performed for the first time under these conditions at these heights outside of departmental training events," Muscatine Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said in a statement.

Only one fire fighter sustained a small injury during the rescue. The trapped worker was dehydrated and exhausted but otherwise uninjured.

According to the Muscatine Fire Chief, the department was assisted by the Grandview Fire Department, Louisa County Ambulance, and the Louisa County Sheriff Department. Approximately 11 Muscatine fire fighters responded to the high angle rescue; several off duty fire fighters responded to staff the main fire station and responded and handled several medical emergencies, out-of-town ambulance transfers, and one structure fire.

"The community, they come by often and say we thought this station was closed just by the way it looks," he added.

"We see asbestos issues, we see issues with termites, issues with rotting, roof leaks," said Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) Chief Jim Geering.

Chula Vista's City Manager Gary Halbert says these problems are very real and the station is in "desperate need" of being fixed.

Firefighters told NBC 7 that there are major health concerns that come with working inside, including a broken pipe that is being held together with zip ties and duct tape.

It's designed to carry exhaust from the engine outside but instead is part of the evening meal.

"All that exhaust that was supposed to go to the outside of the fire station was actually getting dispersed above the kitchen where our folks were eating," Roberts said.

But it’s not just Station Five that appears to be falling apart. Next to City Hall, Station One has warning signs of asbestos plastered on the back door.

"We defer that maintenance off year by year and those problems just get bigger and bigger," Geering said.

During a call for a fire, most of the time firefighters are also forced to wait for back up because the national standard says four firefighters should be on every engine.

An issue in the City of Chula Vista, since every fire engine operates with only three firefighters.

"We can't engage in an interior fire fight, unless there's somebody inside or a known rescue, until a second engine shows up. That delays all of our actions. We're not getting to people in time, and ultimately that's the difference between life and death,” Roberts said.