Fort Worth is set to finally begin construction on a new addition to its public safety infrastructure. An official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station 16 is scheduled on Wednesday, October 16th at 5 pm, as announced by the Fort Worth Fire Department. Reflecting the city's growth and changing needs, the event is open to the public and marks a significant step in replacing the obsolete facilities of the original station built back in 1965.
Updating the decades-old station, the City of Fort Worth has invested $2.27 million through the 2022 Bond Program to purchase a one-acre site located at the northeast corner of Lovell Avenue and Horne Street. Batson-Cook Construction is tasked to build the new facility, which is eagerly awaited by the firefighters and the communities of Como, Lake Como, and Ridglea neighborhoods—a service area where the station averages over 5,000 runs annually. According to a Facebook post by the Fort Worth Fire Department, the old facility's inability to support modern firefighting demands has made these upgrades a critical need for the safety of both first responders and residents.
Planned to be a 3-bay, 2-story double company facility, the new Fire Station 16 promises to thoroughly modernize the department's capabilities. The Fort Worth Fire Department shared that the facility will feature vital upgrades "to technology, housing, facilities, and the safety of the firefighters stationed there during their shift." Once completed, it will also serve as the headquarters for Battalion 5, ensuring a more cohesive and efficient operational structure.
