What does the future hold for Battle Creek Fire Department Station 4?

On Monday, January 24, 2022, the city of Battle Creek announced the temporary closure of the fire department's station 4. The reason for the temporary closure is so that weather-related damages and structural issues can be further investigated and an appropriate plan of action to best address those needs can be decided.

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The damages to Station 4 include drainage issues with rain and snow, water leaks, and standing/pooling water. Those issues have led to a lot of moisture being held in the building causing structural issues.

Firefighters with the station are already working to clear the building while still responding to calls for help according to Battle Creek Fire Chief Brian Sturdivant. As for the future of the building itself, that is less clear.

Fire Chief Sturdivant says that the plan is to refurbish and rehabilitate Station 4 if possible. If the building is too far gone, demolition of the building could take place with a new structure being built on the same existing site or perhaps another nearby piece of land that is available.

Fire station 4 is the second busiest within the city of Battle Creek in terms of responding to calls of help. The plan is for the existing fire crews and fire equipment to move to Battle Creek Fire Station 1 and 6. Those crews will continue to respond to calls from those areas.

We do anticipate an impact to the response time for fire calls,” said Fire Chief Brian Sturdivant. “However, that is not outside the norm. If Station 4 was still operating, and Rescue 4 was on another call, we would still have the same level of response with trucks from other stations.

 

The Springfield Fire Department is located within Station 4's area and is ready to assist when needed. The city also has agreements with Bedford, Emmett, and Pennfield Townships and the VA Fire Department to provide support when necessary. Those agreements have gone both ways for years.

Fire Station 4 will be closed beginning February 1, 2022. Then engineering and architectural firms WJE and Wightman will assess the building, giving the city options for renovations and rebuilding. The cost for the assessments is an estimated $50,000.

No date has been given for when Fire Station 4 could reopen.

We don’t know yet when Station 4 will reopen. Once there is a clearer picture of what needs to be done with Station 4, the city says a similar assessment process on the city’s five other fire stations could take place.

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