Willingboro (NJ) Fire and EMS had outgrown its 1960s-era fire and EMS station that was set in separate side-by-side buildings but didn’t meet the operational needs of the department in the 21st century. In addition, Willingboro wanted to consolidate three volunteer departments, each with its own station, into a single department under one roof.
“We’re a combination department with 22 paid full-time firefighters, 20 volunteer firefighters, 22 paid per-diem EMTs, and five volunteer EMTs, protecting a town of 7-½ square miles that’s mostly residential, with some commercial buildings and apartment complexes, says Anthony Burnett, Willingboro’s chief. “We have a lot of apparatus that include three engines, one 95-foot aerial ladder, one rescue truck, one brush truck, three chief’s vehicles, one fire police vehicle, three utility vehicles, a 14-foot boat, one EMS command car, and four ambulances. So, we were going to need a big station to house all that apparatus.”
Read more: Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment