A previously demolished fire station has returned to service in Dallas.
Dallas Fire-Rescue hosted the grand reopening of Fire Station 19 on Thursday. This new facility stands in the same place as its predecessor, which was severely damaged in 2016.
Fire Station 19 serves the citizens of District 2, represented by City Council Member Jesse Moreno. It is located at 5600 E. Grand Ave. in East Dallas.
In June 2016, a storm passed through the City of Dallas, heavily damaging the 50-year-old building that housed Fire Station 19. A press release from the department detailed that the storm had damaged the facility so badly that it needed to be vacated.
The new 8,000-square-foot station is capable of housing a fire engine as well as an ambulance. The facility also includes several new modern features, such as a transition zone for firefighters, bunker gear decontamination, a drive-thru-style bay, a dedicated fitness room, and a storm shelter.
Emergency personnel welcomed citizens and City officials to tour the new facility at the grand reopening.
The new facility also features airlocks on the entryways of the station’s living quarters to mitigate exposure to carcinogens. Other local fire stations including 36, 46, and 59 also exhibit this feature.
The American Cancer Society says firefighters are especially at risk of being exposed to these harmful substances from all types of fires, diesel fumes, and even chemicals in their protective gear. Firefighters can absorb these carcinogens when breathing or even through their skin.
Fire Station 19 will host 36 multi-discipline trained firefighters/paramedics, according to a social media post.
This facility’s reopening comes just weeks after West Dallas residents welcomed the arrival of a new fire station. Dallas Fire-Rescue hosted the grand opening of Fire Station 36 on April 11, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
That station in West Dallas is twice the size of the one it replaced, which dated back to 1953.