According to a report from KTAR, the Goodyear (AZ) Fire Department (GFD) announced the official opening of a new fire station that will focus on the health and safety of its firefighters.
Goodyear Fire Station No. 186, situated northeast of Willis and Rainbow Valley roads, is a 12,587-square-foot facility that features two corridors: one designated for turnout gear decontamination and another that will allow firefighters to flush potential contaminants from their bodies as soon as they return to the station.
Most fire stations don’t have these health facilities; larger fires usually feature areas on the fireground where firefighters can decon.
The facility also includes is a vestibule that separates the areas where members eat/sleep and work.
GFD Deputy Chief Tom Cole said that the department has listened to its members’ voices as well as experts from around the country to integrate best practices and ideas into a design that protects its firefighters.
In December 2019, the Goodyear City Council approved funding for the two new fire stations, putting a heavy emphasis on firefighters’ safety and improving response times for the community.
The second of those stations, No. 181, located on 143rd Avenue between Van Buren Street and Celebrate Life Way, is expected to be completed this spring.
The new procedures go along with Goodyear’s clean-cab fire truck system, which requires firefighters to store their gear in separate compartments within apparatus to limit contaminant exposure.
