Mayor Malik and the Akron Fire Department Open New Fire Station 12

Two open houses this weekend for community

Akron, Ohio, November 14, 2024 - Yesterday, the City of Akron officially opened the new Fire Station 12 on South Hawkins Avenue in Ward 4 with a celebratory ribbon cutting. The original Station 12 was first built in 1952 and has served the community for over 70 years. The new station is 16,800 sq. ft. and cost approximately $9.5M. It is a state-of-the-art facility designed to better serve the community and keep the city's firefighter/medics safer and healthier. AFD will host two open houses this weekend on Saturday Nov. 16 and Sunday Nov. 17 from 12-4pm for the community to tour the facility and learn more about the new space.

Highlights of the new Station No. 12 include:

• 3 full apparatus bays
• Six individual living quarters
• Commercial grade kitchen
• Fitness room
• Equipment decontamination facilities
• Air drying hose tower
• Two detox sauna pods

"In 2018, the City of Akron broke ground on Fire Station 2 in Middlebury which was the first new fire station in Akron in 22 years," said Mayor Malik. "Now, we are opening our third new station in seven years which is a huge accomplishment made possible thanks to our residents passing the Issue 4 income tax increase back in 2017. These new stations are honoring the past through their design while also incorporating best practices that keep residents and first responders safe. We're proud to offer this amazing new resource to our community and our firefighters who sacrifice so much for Akron."

"I'm excited about the upgraded Station 12 and its ability to keep our firefighters safer from the harmful carcinogens they get exposed to while on duty," Fire Chief Henderson said. "The Akron Fire Department is able to better support the community with a new space that caters to the health and wellbeing of our firefighters/medics. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this station a reality including our residents, Akron City Council, the former administration, our past Fire Chief Joseph Natko, our city staff including our firefighters/medics and our engineering teams, and especially Akron Fire Deputy Chief Richard Vober who has led the management of this project from top to bottom."

The new station was designed by DLZ architects and built by contractors Metis Construction Services and Kenmore Construction.

To continue the celebration of the new and improved Station 12, the Akron Fire Department is hosting two open houses this weekend. Join us for a tour of the new facility on Saturday, November 16 or Sunday, November 17 from 12pm-4pm! Light refreshments will be provided as well as activities for kids and families.