MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Meridian Fire Department held a grand opening ceremony for fire station six in Meridian Thursday morning.
The new station at 1435 W. Overland Rd. will be staffed with a fire engine and a Battalion Chief.
The new station is set to improve response time, it also prioritizes firefighters health. The station will be the first in the state to have a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Washer to reduce exposure to carcinogens like soot and other chemicals.
Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer stated "Normally prior to this of equipment we would hose the equipment down and wash it with soap and water and do that two or three times. We did some testing and we found there is still contaminants and soot in those airpacks even after that level of cleaning. So we're really excited to have this washer that we know is going to sanitize that airpack."
The layout of the station will also provide better ventilation, areas for contaminated gear, easy access to the fire engine and solid cleaning surfaces.
