The building is separated into two areas, the administrative area and the crew section. The administrative side of the building includes a welcoming reception area with a large training/community meeting room that receives plenty of natural light from the large windows. This spacious area allows the department more opportunities for training sessions at the station and to invite other departments to attend. When available, the space will be open to the public for use as a community meeting room. Public restrooms and a spot to drop off plans and permit fees complete the reception area. The remaining area on the administrative side includes two offices for the Chief and Captains, and an administrative work area for the staff.
The training/community meeting room.
The crew side for Station #1 will support three shifts, each with four crew members working 48-hour shifts every four days. The station is designed to feel like a second home for the crew. The living area features a large open area that includes a full kitchen with refrigerators and cupboards for each shift, a dining area, a day room with access to a nice outdoor patio, and a new gym facility for the staff. There are four bedrooms, four bathrooms, lockers, and a work/study area. To maintain ISO certification, each firefighter is required to have 192 hours of training, many of which are completed through online classes.
Kitchen and dining area.
The workout room. 
Bedroom
The new station features three large bays for the trucks and equipment. The trucks will enter into the bays from Foristell Rd and will exit onto Hwy Z. There is ample space to accommodate all the storage needs of a firehouse, a storm/disaster shelter and an outdoor or “dirty” laundry. Chief Casey explained that firehouses are required to be equipped with two laundry and clean-up areas: one for clean items that have never been exposed to fire, and another for items involved in a fire. Items from the “dirty” area never enter the firehouse due to the carcinogens that firefighters encounter on the job.
The station has a new state-of-the-art early alert system from St. Charles County. When a call comes in, an audio alarm and strobes will go off to alert everyone. A monitor will display the location, a map, and an estimated time of arrival. It also starts the clock to time the crew for how long it takes them to board the trucks and leave the station. This provides the crew with a clear goal to work towards, motivating them to continuously improve their time. The early alert system can save approximately 45 seconds while the 911 operator is still gathering details and provides the department with a head start. The new early alert system, along with the newly designed firehouse, will improve response times, benefiting the whole community.
Out door patio.
As for the old Station #1, the building will be sold, and the money will be used for much-needed improvements to the other stations within the district. Stay tuned for more details.
The new station is approximately 70% completed and is still on track to be ready for an early fall move-in date, if not sooner.
We would like to thank Dan and Donna for taking the time to show us the new space, and we are eagerly waiting to see the finished station this fall.
