New Raleigh $72M fire station in the works amid city's growth, downtown development

Raleigh's oldest fire station is relocating from this small, two-story brick building on a busy South Dawson Street downtown. Station No. 1 is right around the corner from the fire department's headquarters.

The plan is to combine them into a new, state-of-the-art building about a mile away. This short move is intended to bolster long-term safety downtown.

You can see how busy the traffic is as the afternoon rush begins in front of Central Fire Station No. 1.

These long fire trucks have to pull straight out into that traffic when a call comes in.

And they're responding to more calls, nearly a thousand more than just three years ago.

When a call comes in to fire station No. 1, downtown Raleigh hears the sirens blare.

The rush to respond can be delayed by traffic, zooming by the small brick station tucked away between buildings on South Dawson Street.

"We use caution and ease our way out, make sure we’re clear," said firefighter C.W. Langston. "It’s a one-way street here, traffic can get backed up at times."

And they back up traffic, when the fire trucks return and can only back in to their bays.

Fire Chief Herbert Griffin is working with the city to build a new central downtown station on this lot at the corner of South Salisbury Street and MLK Jr. Boulevard.

"It’s also one of our busier stations as well," Griffin said. "We house two engine companies and a ladder company here servicing the growth of this community."

Station No. 1 started serving downtown in 1952. The age shows in the cracked tile floors from the weight of today's bigger trucks and the wall of firefighter gear hanging in the open, emitting potentially toxic carcinogens into the station.

"In our newer stations and the stations we upgrade, we have enclosed room for the gear protection," Griffin said.

It will have more bays to house more equipment and crews.

And fire trucks will be able to pull through to get in and out faster.

"The growth has changed and there are a lot of high rises going up – 40-story buildings and so forth – so, yeah, the demographics of this city have changed to the point where we have to keep up with those growth changes," Griffin said.

That new building will also house a back-up 911 call center. Right now, the city is reviewing proposals from architects to design the new station.

It's a $72 million project. Griffin expects to relocate this station in three to four years.