TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department prepares to welcome Fire Station #2, a newly built facility for the support side of the installation, which is projected for completion early next year.
Fire Station #2 is slated to be the first of three new fire stations at Tyndall AFB. The new facility will replace the previous facilities identified as Fire Station #2, buildings 2893 and 2894, which were damaged beyond economic repair due to the impact of Hurricane Michael in 2018.
The Fire Station #2 project features a 13,000 square-foot facility with a three-bay vehicle garage for two fire apparatus and one ambulance.
“Fire Station #2 is a combination of two key features; first is location;” said Ken Webb, Air Force Civil Engineer Center project manager and engineer. “The new location will be on a prime intersection of the installation which allows easy response to family housing and the mission support side of the base. Additionally, we will have a state-of-the-art facility that contains all the amenities to take care of our firefighters.”
Unlike the majority of the new builds happening around Tyndall, the three fire stations mentioned are funded through the 10 USC § 2854, restoration or replacement of damaged or destroyed facilities authority. This specific authority allows for the repair, restoration or replacement of mission critical facilities damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster on an expedited timeline.
Traditional military construction projects typically require five years of prior coordination and approvals which include Congressional authorization. However, military services possess set-aside funding allowances under 10 USC § 2854 to restore specific facilities as soon as possible. The recovery of Tyndall is the first instance in U.S. Air Force history to exercise this authority.
Currently, the firefighters are operating out of temporary structures while a majority of their emergency vehicles are exposed to the elements.
“The new fire stations will provide a much greater quality of life for our firefighters who have been [operating] in less than desirable conditions since 2018,” said Senior Master Sgt. Gerald Allen, 325th CES deputy fire chief. “We will be able to house all of our vehicles and equipment in facilities away from the Florida elements which will extend the life in which they can be used and provide the base and local communities the services they deserve.”