I recently visited the Saco Fire Station. The last time I was there was for the opening ceremony, and I had also seen it during construction. Those who saw the old station in operation know that there were definitely some substantial improvements made with this new facility, which is reassuring considering its cost. At first, I was even skeptical of the new station, but now that I’ve seen the difference I know that this was a smart move.
Most businessmen will agree, one of the most important aspects of a successful business is location. At the old location of the Saco Fire Station, it was harder for trucks to get in and out. I remember sitting there watching the apparatus carefully back into the old station, barely squeezing the trucks into those narrow bays. Now at the new central station, they can pull around back and drive right into the back of the building, eliminating the need to block traffic.
This new location also makes it a lot easier to get to an emergency. Firefighters are now more centrally located and no longer have to navigate the labyrinth of narrow streets in downtown Saco unless they’re responding to a call there. The only possible downside that I see is that they are no longer as close to Biddeford, as the two towns’ fire departments regularly respond to each other’s calls.
This new station has also allowed for more training opportunities. The old station did not have enough space to do field training, so firefighters would have to go off site. The new station, however, has enough acreage and large indoor training spaces so firefighters can do all of their classroom and field training right there. The Saco Fire Department alone has at least a dozen certified trainers. They also have classes every week, keeping our firefighters sharp. Let’s not forget the state of the art conference rooms they are using when they do this training. It’s a far cry from the facilities at the old station.
Some of the tradition was kept from the old station, however. You may remember those iconic horse heads above the bay doors of the old station. They had a mason recreate those heads, as they could not be removed without being destroyed, and the facsimiles are now proudly displayed about the doors at the new station.
A lot of the memorabilia has been taken out of storage and is now on display in the new station. The walls are lined with pictures of old fires and fire crews and there is an old horse-drawn pump in the entryway, as well as a call box. There is also a very large wooden table that bears the logo of the Saco Fire Department that is still in use up in the kitchen.
I have to admire the Saco Fire Department for intertwining its history into this new building.
There is also still room for more upgrades, of course. The library is still bare, even though firefighters believe that it will be full soon. The bay area could probably fit larger vehicles and space is available for more tables in the library as well. This building was obviously built with future generations in mind and hopefully will last longer than the last station. Even though that building definitely served its purpose well and lasted nearly a century, it could no longer serve the demanding needs of a 21st Century station.
The new station was a wise investment, allowing for faster response times and eliminating some traffic congestion problems. This new station has a lot of new capabilities, and still preserves the station’s heritage. Things are always changing, and the station has room for improvement to accommodate these changes. Overall, I think that this station is going to help firefighters provide great service into the future for the citizens of Saco.
— Timothy Morris is a student at Thornton Academy who is active with the Thornton Academy television station and will be writing this column for the Journal Tribune through the summer.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
