A fifth fire station is coming to Hopkinsville to improve public safety and response times, and on Friday the Hopkinsville Fire Department hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility.
The department has not expanded its fire protection facilities in 24 years. Fire Station 5 will be at 101 Walton Way and is being constructed out of a preexisting building.
Before members of the fire department and local government turned the soil, those who worked to get construction underway spotlighted how the facility would positively impact the community.
Hopkinsville Fire Chief Steve Futrell says the new station will help firefighters and EMS better serve industry partners and residents in southern Christian County. Futrell says the station will include state-of-the-art training resources for firefighter and EMS recruits.
For Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight, public safety is at the top of his list of priorities and says the new fire station will be integral in helping first responders enhance public safety.
Deputy Chief of Operations Bill Pyle started playing a key role in establishing the new station after he received results from a fire station feasibility study. The study recommended that stations should be established off of Pembroke Road and Fort Campbell Boulevard in the southern portions of the county.
The recommended area on Pembroke Road is surrounded by industrial facilities, while the area on Fort Campbell Boulevard is surrounded by neighborhoods. Pyle says it was a tough decision to pick a location for the new station, but they went with an area near Fort Campbell Boulevard to be able to quickly respond to emergencies in residential areas.
Once construction is completed, Pyle says firefighter and EMS training will move to the station which has classroom space and 10 acres of outdoor training space. Pyle says they plan to construct an indoor mezzanine and a burn building behind the station where recruits will be able to practice entering a building that is on fire.
The Department’s state-accredited paramedic class will also be housed at the station. The Hopkinsville department is one of four government entities in Kentucky that host state paramedic classes.
Beyond constructing training space, Pyle says three firetruck bays will be added to the building’s exterior. Once constructed, the station is set to be around 36,000 square feet.
Pyle says he appreciates all of the support he has received while working to establish the station and hopes that it will stand as a key resource for years to come.
Fire Station 5 is set to open by October 2025.
