Next Gen Station 7

More than fifty years ago, Station 7 was built to serve what was then a quiet, rural farming community. It was the right station for its time. But the community has grown dramatically since then, and the demands on our firefighters and EMTs have grown with it. Today, AVFD responds to more than 5,000 emergency calls per year — and our station simply wasn't designed for that mission.

The most visible problem is space. AVFD operates six front-line emergency vehicles, but Station 7 has only five bays. One of our vehicles literally does not fit inside the building. On any given shift, the duty crew can be as large as seventeen people — career firefighters and volunteers working side by side. But the station has only eleven beds, only eight seats at the dinner table, and just two showers shared among everyone. There aren't enough places to sleep, to eat, or to take care of basic needs after a grueling call.

But the most urgent problem isn't about comfort — it's about safety. The current station has no hot/cold zone separation. When firefighters return from a structure fire covered in carcinogenic soot and chemicals, they decontaminate on the front ramp — the same area where they eat, train, and live. There are no dedicated decontamination facilities, no turnout gear cleaning equipment, and no transition areas to keep toxic contaminants out of living spaces. This isn't a theoretical concern. Firefighter cancer rates are significantly elevated compared to the general population, and proper station design is one of the most effective ways to reduce that risk. Our firefighters deserve a workspace that doesn't compromise their health.

The station does not comply with current NFPA 1550, 1710, or 1720 standards for fire station design. It is not ADA compliant. There is no dedicated training space, so firefighters train in living areas and storage sheds — improvising where they should be preparing. There is no dedicated safe station area or medical treatment space for community members who walk in seeking help. And when AVFD hosts CPR classes, community meetings, or public safety education events, members give up their own living space to make room.

The men and women of AVFD — career and volunteer alike — show up every day and make it work. They always have. But there is a growing gap between what our community needs and what this station can deliver. Closing that gap means building a station designed for the mission we have today and the community we'll be serving for decades to come.