By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The York Fire Department officially opened a new 34,000-square-foot headquarters Saturday after nearly two years of construction, replacing a facility constructed in 1967.
- The new station at 1714 N. Lincoln Ave. includes modern cancer-prevention features such as diesel exhaust ventilation and a gear decontamination station designed to remove harmful substances from protective equipment.
- The facility expands sleeping accommodations with individual bedrooms for firefighters working 24-hour shifts, replacing the previous dormitory-style layout, and includes enlarged meeting space for training and community events.
- The project cost approximately $7 million and was driven by concerns about maintaining operations in an aging facility that would have required expensive renovations.
- Fire Chief Tony Bestwick characterized the new station as positioning the department for sustained growth and improved firefighter safety.
YORK, NREB. — The York Fire Department opened a new headquarters Saturday morning, replacing a facility constructed nearly 60 years ago with a modern station designed to improve firefighter health, safety, and operational capability.
Construction of the new fire station at 1714 N. Lincoln Ave. began in December 2024 and concluded this spring following approximately 18 months of development. The previous station at 815 N. Grant Ave., built in 1967, had become increasingly difficult to maintain and expand.
Fire Chief Tony Bestwick explained that early assessments revealed remodeling the existing facility would cost nearly as much as constructing a replacement. After searching for suitable locations beginning in fall 2022, city officials selected the North Lincoln Avenue site.
The new 34,000-square-foot facility incorporates technological improvements focused on firefighter health and operational capacity. A diesel exhaust ventilation system removes harmful byproducts generated by apparatus engines, a key cancer-prevention measure supported by recent research on occupational carcinogen exposure in firefighting.
The station features a dedicated gear decontamination area where firefighters remove and clean protective equipment after fireground operations, reducing their exposure to carcinogenic particles and chemicals embedded in bunker gear.
The expanded facility accommodates department growth, including individual bedrooms for overnight shift personnel. Firefighters typically work 24-hour shifts followed by 48-hour rest periods. The previous station utilized dormitory-style sleeping arrangements with multiple firefighters sharing common rooms.
Volunteer firefighter Dave Northwest described the advantages of private sleeping quarters during overnight shifts. The new station also incorporates an expanded exercise room where personnel maintain physical fitness levels required for firefighting operations. Equipment relocated from the older station supplements purchases from the York Community Center.
A larger meeting room accommodates monthly departmental meetings and training events. The facility recently hosted a blood drive as part of a community engagement initiative.
Bestwick stated that the new station positions the department favorably for sustained growth. “With this building, the future is very bright for members of the York Fire Department,” Bestwick said.