By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Bowling Green firefighters, city officials, community leaders and construction partners gathered with shovels in hand Tuesday afternoon — not to respond to a fire or other emergency call, but to prepare for the next one.
The ceremonial groundbreaking marked the beginning of construction on two new fire stations that city officials said will help Bowling Green keep pace with a growing community and give firefighters the facilities they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently.
One station will rise at 447 Campbell Hill Road adjacent to Carter Park, while another is planned for Newton Road near the Bowling Green Community Center. Together, they will join the existing Pearl Street station to create a three-station system serving Bowling Green.
For Fire Chief Bill Moorman, the day represented more than the start of a construction project.
“It’s a truly significant and historic day,” Moorman told those gathered for the ceremony. “First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the residents of Bowling Green. Your support and trust made this project possible, and today we celebrate that partnership.”
He also praised the levy committee and the men and women of the fire division for their dedication and commitment involved in the planning process for bringing the project to the groundbreaking stage.
“Through their hard work, professional insight, and firsthand experience, we were able to identify the essential design requirements for our department and confirm the need for two new fire stations to effectively serve our growing community, Moorman said.
The work reflects a community investment not only in buildings, but in the people who will work inside them, he said.
They are the people who are accustomed to running toward trouble, said Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher.
When a call comes in, firefighters and EMS personnel have little time to think about anything other than getting out the door and getting to the person who needs help. The new stations are being designed around that reality.
Moorman said the department has a goal of responding to emergencies in four minutes or less, and the locations of the new stations will help position emergency resources throughout the growing city.
But response time is only part of the story.
Inside the new stations, firefighters are expected to find improved living and working conditions, modern technology, dedicated training areas and features designed with their health and safety in mind.
The designs include separate zones for different activities and improvements to air quality.
State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, who presented an Ohio House of Representatives resolution to city officials, spoke about the importance of giving firefighters a place where they can return from a call, clean their equipment and safely rest before the next emergency without worrying about fumes and other carcinogens.
“This is a station that will certainly stand the test of time. It’s a generational investment, and this is also a station that is going to better serve the community,” he said.
For the men and women of the Bowling Green Fire Division, those details can matter just as much as the size of the apparatus bays or the technology on the trucks.
The need for the new stations comes as Bowling Green itself changes.
Aspacher noted the city has gained hundreds of homes and significant commercial development since the city’s current stations were built. As call volume continues to increase, the city has a responsibility to make sure its emergency services grow along with the community, he said.
“We are not doing this because our current system isn’t working,” Aspacher said. “Our firefighters and EMS personnel are doing an outstanding job. We’re doing this because good communities plan ahead.”
That idea — planning before a crisis — was at the heart of Tuesday’s ceremony.
The project is being financed through a tax levy supported by Bowling Green voters. Aspacher thanked residents for making the investment possible, while emphasizing the city’s responsibility to be good stewards of those resources.
The result will be more than two new buildings; the project is the creation of a three-station system intended to improve response times, better position emergency resources and serve Bowling Green as it continues to grow.
