This would put a station within five miles of every home in Cooper County.

"We need to protect our citizens and the people passing through our community, but we have to do it safely."

Gehm said there are three trucks that are more than 40 years old that are becoming dangerous to drive.

"The biggest issue with our old engines is they don't start when they need to start," he said. "We have surplus engines, but it takes time to go get them. That's a possible delay that may make the difference between life and death."

Division Chief Ryan Reuter said it's important the bond issue is passed on Tuesday, so the protection district can continue to provide services to the community.

"We've had some equipment that when we arrive on scene it wouldn't function even though it might have worked the day before."

Gehm said they need to replace one fire engine, two tanker trucks and several brush trucks. He said if the bond issue doesn't pass on Tuesday, the fire protection district may have to resort to a tax increase in the future to help pay for necessary upgrades.

The years of planning have finally paid off for the Ashland Fire Department as they opened the doors of their new firehouse to the community.

"Firefighters and law enforcement is something the community does need to support because they are serving us so we need to support them," said Sarah Grubisic, a resident of Ashland.

The open house showcased the three million dollar facility, which was a big change from their previous location of more than 90 years.

"Our previous kitchen was a third of the size of this new one. We had 5 to 8 people in the cramped little corridors and now we can move about the day without tapping each other. From an operational stand point, having all our apparatuses under one roof has significantly improved our city's ability to deliver emergency services," said Captain Christopher Bulouvsky with the Ashland Fire Department.

Retired Ashland fireman, James Thompson, says things have only gotten better since his time working for the department.

"The main thing is they have access to equipment. They have a ton of more equipment than we ever had. We had three trucks and you look out here, they have nine bays and there's something in every bay," he said.

The department says although this is a big improvement for them, this wouldn't be possible without the continuous support of the community.

"The community's always been there behind us for many, many years. City surveys throughout my tenure here suggested we had a great deal of community support and this open house illustrates that," said Bulouvsky.