“This is an extremely exciting time for the Liberty Township Fire Department,” said Ethan Klussman, fire chief for the fast-growing township.
“Our new station is a top-notch facility and its location positions us well for future growth to the north while maintaining great response times south. It’ll provide a great atmosphere for our crews and we hope it’s an asset when recruiting and retaining employees,” said Klussman.
The station replaces the Yankee Road firehouse, which first opened in 1974 when the township’s fire department was an all-volunteer force serving a population of about 5,000.
Today, three fire stations serve the Liberty Township community, which has grown to more than 42,000 residents and about 500 businesses.
With four bays and the ability to house up to 10 personnel, the new station was built to serve the township well into the future, said township officials.
Officials said it is also “better positioned to provide a more comprehensive response area as the township grows.”
They point to a state-of-the-art alerting system that “improves response times and reduces the fatigue factor as Station 112 is the busiest station. And several training props were built in to allow more options for training within the department and during inclement weather.”
The former Yankee Road fire house has been converted into a coronavirus vaccine, drive-through site as part of a partnership agreement between the township and UC Health/West Chester Hospital.
[Old firehouse becoming COVID-19 vaccine site as options grow in Butler County]Edit info
The impact of the new fire station extends well beyond its grounds thanks to installation of a new traffic control system to better speed fire trucks and other emergency vehicles through area intersections.
Officials said the new system “provides a green light, and therefore intersection right-of-way, to emergency vehicles” and was created as a collaboration with adjacent Mason and West Chester Township fire departments.
“Hats off to Chief Klussman and all members of the building committee for their leadership and dedication to ensuring these projects were done in a fiscally-responsible manner and to the benefit of our crews,” said Tom Farrell, president of Liberty Township Board of Trustees.
“These much-needed improvements position us well for the future and the board is incredibly proud of our (fire department) facilities,” said Farrell.
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