On October 3, BGAD Fire Department II began operations in the "restricted" area of the depot - the area where 900 earth-covered bunkers hold large stocks of conventional munitions and chemical weapons, according to a BGAD release. The area is where employees work on inspecting, renovating and transporting munitions and securing the weapons, and where the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) soon will be making good on its name.

"The primary impetus for the new fire station was to meet mandated response time requirements for the chemical plant once it becomes operational," said BGAD Fire Chief Sean Brewer in the release. "The requirement of seven minutes just wasn't possible from the primary fire station located in the administrative area of the installation. Thus, the need for the new station and additional personnel. Some of our initial test runs from the new station to the chemical plant are in the three-and-a-half minutes range, so we're feeling really good about cutting BGCAPP's required response time by 50 percent or more."

Besides the protection the new fire station provides BGCAPP and its workers, other restricted-area workers -- particularly on the northern side of the Depot -- will experience benefits as well, according to Brewer.

"We're now able to provide improved rapid response services to workers in our restricted area, including the non-BGCAPP employees of BGAD and Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA), as well as truckers, vendors, contractors and even farmers taking care of their herds. This is a winning situation for everyone," he added.

Fire Department II currently houses four full-time, fully-equipped and highly trained firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) on a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a year basis, according to the release. While Brewer expects that personnel number to increase as time draws nearer to the start of chemical weapons destruction, he wants everyone to know that there's essentially no difference in capabilities, equipment and operational hours than the primary fire station located in the administrative area.

Fire personnel have moved back in from their temporary quarters, and the station has been rebuilt from the ground up with larger bays to fit modern apparatus with better ventilation, an equipment decontamination room, locker room and restroom accommodations for male and female firefighters, adequate living and office space for personnel and ADA compliance among other features.

"Our firefighters are very excited to be in the new fire station," Fire Chief Bill Hawley said. "The new station is significantly larger than the old facility and has a number of features that were not a part of the old building. The new facility will allow our firefighters to better serve the community."

Firefighters had been working from temporary headquarters across the street at Church of Christ on Exchange Parkway since June while crews demolished Allen's oldest fire station, built in 1981. The city and church had a lease agreement that allowed firefighters temporary housing and a temporary fire apparatus structure on the church's grounds for $1,750 per month.

Judging by the project's outcome, the health and well-being of fire personnel was taken into account when designing the station. Hawley said there was an emphasis on providing a lot of natural light as well as a balance of private and communal space for firefighters. To combat firefighters' exposure to germs and chemical contaminants while on emergency calls, polished concrete floors were built to reduce the chance of germs spreading, while the air handling system continuously cleans the air.

According to Commerce FD Captain Joe Pretre, the grant used to be only used for training textbooks and related materials, but in recent years was changed to include other items as well. Pretre said that the grant was applied for last year. This grant is the second one given to the fire department this year, with Commerce FD receiving an $8,400 grant in April for bunker gear.

There are certain criteria that have to be met to be eligible, and Commerce FD meets the criteria due to having less than 20 full time workers.

The grant is known as a "100 percent grant," meaning that the Forest Service will reimburse the fire department completely for their purchase up to $5,000. Pretre said that the plan is to use the grant to purchase a Keiser force sled and a drag dummy.