West Des Moines officials broke ground Friday on the city’s first fire and emergency medical services station south of the Raccoon River. But the station will serve more than just the immediate area.
The first responders who will staff West Des Moines Fire Department and EMS Station 13 will provide flexibility for other stations’ crews to attend training, West Des Moines Fire Chief Craig Leu said. The station is planned to open in late 2027.
The more than $15 million station, to be located at 1650 S.E. Maffitt Lake Road, will be next to the fire department’s existing live fire training center, and the Iowa National Guard facility the department uses for classroom training space.
As first responders from other stations attend training at those locations, Leu said Station 13’s crews will backfill the staffing at the stations, and help the department’s response capabilities keep up with growing call volumes and the necessity of being prepared to handle multiple calls at once.
“As our call volume goes up, we need to add responders,” Leu said.
Leu said exact staffing plans for Station 13 have yet to be finalized. He said he expects at least a fire engine, tender — a truck made for carrying a large volume of water — and an ambulance will be placed at the station.
Development in the area is expected to catch up to Station 13’s construction across the river. “This area will see significant growth in the coming years,” said City Manager Tom Hadden.
West Des Moines City Council member Doug Loots said the new station will help facilitate that growth, including through lower insurance premiums for the area.
And in the meantime, Station 13 is itself the direct result of nearby development that has already happened. City officials said the new station is entirely paid for with property taxes from two neighboring Microsoft data centers at 550 S.E. White Crane Road and 1475 S.E. Maffitt Lake Road.
Station 13 is the first new fire station West Des Moines has built since 2007, Leu said. Its design — made with the input of the department’s members — reflects 20 years of advancements in the fire and EMS professions, including the need for decontamination areas separate from living areas for cancer prevention, quiet rooms and mothers’ rooms, he said.
The station will also have solar and geothermal energy sources that alongside other features will save on costs over time.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: West Des Moines breaks ground on first new fire station since 2007
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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