A project that took nearly a decade to fully realize, Nappanee Fire Station 1 is the fruit of a labor of love for the city and its surrounding communities. First envisioned by Fire Chief Don Lehman, former EMS Chief Jim Sumpter, and Mayor Phil Jenkins, the trio would spend eight years conducting research and visiting fire departments across northeast Indiana for inspiration to craft a modernized station of their own. In operation for 55 years, the department’s existing facility no longer met the needs of its growing team of fire and EMS first responders. The city employed the help of K2M Design, DS Architects, and Weigand Construction to shape a new fire station that would support its operations for years into the future. It features:
Prolonged carcinogen exposure is a risk that people in the fire service actively take on in their occupation, which can lead to cancer in many cases without proper intervention. Thanks to logistical and mechanical improvements made with Fire Station 1, a comprehensive exhaust extraction system covers the apparatus bays along with designated “hot,” “warm,” and “cold” zones. This layout allows harmful chemical and diesel fumes that often cover equipment, clothing, and vehicles after a fire call to safely off-gas through a separate ventilation network, reducing contact and preventing contamination in the living quarters.
Previously, EMS team members had to stay in a separate house and walk to the fire department in order to access their vehicles and equipment when responding to a call. Planned as a central service station, the facility is outfitted with space to support all first responder crews, making it safer and easier to prepare for emergencies at a minute’s notice.
“Some have been waiting 22 years, as promised, for a facility they can now call home…Full-time responders work 24- or 48-hour shifts, spending one-third of their lives here. This is not only a fire station – it’s a firehouse.” – Don Lehman, Fire Chief, Nappanee Fire Department
Fire Station 1 also pays homage to beloved cartoonist Bill Holman, a Nappanee native who created the classic Smokey Stover comic strip series featured in the Chicago Tribune. The building has several references to Smokey throughout, including a large wall graphic in one of the conference rooms, a real-life version of Smokey’s famous “Foomobile” in the lobby, and depictions of the character in the Nappanee Fire Department’s logo, which is seen facing the front the exterior tower as well as inside near the apparatus bay doors.
The host of features and improvements in Fire Station 1 position the Nappanee Fire Department to offer faster response times, provide safer environments for crew members, and sustain stronger operational capacity. WCI is proud to have served as a partner in making this facility, which directly impacts so many lives and communities across Nappanee, a reality.
