New Buffalo Firehouse Station 1 opening in Feb. 2022

Buffalo Fire Chief John Harnois proudly hosted a tour of the new firehouse, that is currently under construction, for members of the City of Buffalo, including Mayor Lachermeier and members of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 8.

The new firehouse is located across Central Ave. from the current firehouse it will be replacing. The new firehouse has many amenities to offer along with additional space for the growing city of Buffalo.

Harnois stated on the tour that the new truck bay has room for five fire engines, whereas the current firehouse holds three. The new firehouse also has enough space to complete truck maintenance and for various firefighter training and safety activities.

There are various meeting rooms, offices, dormitories, and more in the upper level of the fire station. Harnois stated in the upper level they will also have room for their workout equipment, including: a treadmill, stair-master, and more. 

Other amenities coming to the fire station include: multiple bathrooms on each floor, elevator, break rooms, laundry room, storage, and a decontamination room to take care of equipment.

Harnois spoke about how a lot of these new amenities will help keep firefighters around. He stated, “our goal is to have them stay around for twenty years instead of ten.” Harnois also spoke about having plenty of space to teach and train new firefighters at the new fire station.

The new fire station has seen delays, but Harnois is happy with the consistent progress that is being made. The construction is scheduled to be completed in February 2022, if there are no further delays. COVID has delayed the project, but luckily, they had a lot of the materials needed before COVID affected shipping and distribution.

Mayor Lachermeier also shared her excitement for the new fire station and was very impressed. Lachermeier shared that she had visited two others recently-built fire stations in Wright County, and she believes the new Buffalo Fire Department has the most to offer.

Lachermeier and Harnois discussed plans for opening day of the new fire station. Details are forthcoming about opening day events.