Perrysburg Twp. shows off new safety building

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PERRYSBURG – The township fire department won’t need any fire this weekend to show off all of its toys.

From noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, the Perrysburg Township Fire Department will hold an open house for its
brand new Public Safety Building, located at 26609 Lime City Road. The new 38,000 square-foot facility
will replace the original building, which was constructed when the department formed in 1964 to
accommodate volunteer personnel. Now, the new station connects to the existing police station and will
serve about 15 full-time firefighters and emergency services personnel. Among its many modern features,
it includes locker rooms and showers for both genders, a gear room for all firefighters and six
triple-deep drive-through bays.
The update was long overdue, said Dep. Chief Tom Brice. He said the department, which averages about
1,500 runs a year within about 40 square miles, simply has outgrown its former building.
The township broke ground on the building last May, and the staff has been moving equipment into the new
building throughout this week.
"For a long time, we’ve known that we needed a new building," Brice said. "It was just a
matter of getting everything to fall into place."
The township trustees are paying just under $5 million for the facility in cash. That contribution has
purchased rooms for laundry and light repair work, a lecture room for emergency response education and a
state-of-the-art training room that will be shared with the police department. A new training tower can
be used for repelling, ladder evolutions, search-and-rescue training, sprinkler operations and
ventilation scenarios. Brice explained that the updated design will result in more fluid operations for
the station’s daily four-person staff.
The department will share its new building with the public during the open house, which will begin at
noon with a transfer of the flag from the old station before remarks from the trustees. At 1 p.m., the
department will initiate high-angle rescue demonstrations from the new training tower and its HazMat
trailer will be made available for viewing. LifeFlight will arrive at 2 that afternoon followed by the
ProMedica Air ambulance at 3, along with a ventilation simulator. Tours of the station will occur from
noon until 4. Safe Kids Greater Toledo, which will provide car seat checks, as well as the fire trailer
will also be on-hand throughout the event.
The event additionally includes wellness checks for the public, concessions, children’s activities and
give-aways.
Brice said the new station should last the department for another 50 years. Having training facilities
alone will save the department money it would otherwise spend by sending its staff to education programs
at other locations. Now, staff can train on-site and on the clock.
Noting that the township lacks a traditional downtown district like other communities, he said the public
safety building is one of the few structures that can represent the community as a whole. He said the
building was an investment, not only in the township’s immediate emergency service needs, but in its
future needs as well.
"I think it’s one of the best facilities in the region," he said. "Of course, everybody
designs their station to meet their special needs, but it’s one of the nicest ones that I’ve seen in
this area."

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