The city of Duluth will hold a public meeting March 5 to discuss the proposed construction of a new fire station to replace the current Woodland and University of Minnesota Duluth stations.
After a comprehensive study of Duluth's fire operations, a consultant recommended the city consider consolidating its Woodland station with its Lakeside fire hall, which recently was remodeled. But upon further review, it was determined that combining the Woodland and UMD stations made better
sense, said Duluth Fire Chief John Strongitharm.
He noted that both the UMD and Woodland stations are showing their age and would require significant investment in coming years.
Instead of pouring more money into old facilities, the city is exploring the idea of building a new station near the junction of Snively Road and Woodland Avenue, Strongitharm said.
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As proposed, the consolidation would not result in the elimination of any firefighting positions, Strongitharm said. With one fewer fire hall to staff, the department could assign a full complement of four firefighters to each station in Duluth.
Strongitharm said that while it likely would take slightly longer to reach certain areas, such as Upper Woodland, from the proposed new station, the response from a better-staffed fire hall would be more robust.
The rationale for a new station will be laid out at the March 5 community meeting, and public input will be sought. It begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Woodland School media room.
Strongitharm said if the community decides to move forward with a new, consolidated UMD-Woodland station, the project would take a couple of years to develop.
