On what coincidently is Fire Chief Jeremy Moore's seventh anniversary leading the Broken Arrow Fire Department, The City of Broken Arrow officially opened a new Fire Station #7 at 201 E. Washington St. on Jan. 12.  

During a ceremony at the new facility, Moore highlighted the improvements made in the department since 2015. He credited the leadership of the City Council, City Manager Michael Spurgeon, the department's administrative team, and the fortitude of the frontline firefighters for the department's success.  

"We have made some amazing public safety improvements in the Fire Department," he said.  

At 179 firefighters today, Broken Arrow employs more firefighters than ever before in the City's history. The department has added 39 firefighters since 2015. 

"In 2016, we decided to open a fire station in this part of town because we knew we needed better response times for this area," Moore said.  

The Chief also credited Broken Arrow voters for their strong support, as demonstrated by the passage of the 2018 GO Bond. The City has purchased six fire trucks and nine ambulances over the past seven years.  

Other department-wide improvements include:

•              New gear for firefighters

•              New self-contained breathing apparatus

•              New radios

•              New computers in the fire trucks 

Moore also said, "With the help of Police Chief Brandon Berryhill, we will launch a new computer-aided dispatch system to help our firefighters get out of the stations quicker to get where they are going. And, here we are today at the grand opening of the second state-of-the-art multimillion dollar fire station in less than six months." In August, Fire Station 3 opened at 5420 S. 23rd St.

Fire Station 7 is more than 12,000 square feet and includes:

•              Eight modern semi-private bunk rooms

•              Four large bays to accommodate modern equipment

•              Two Captain's bunks and offices

•              A battalion Chief Bunk and office

•              A commons area

•              Physical fitness space

•              A public restroom 

In his remarks, City Manager Michael Spurgeon also thanked the community for their support of Public Safety projects.

"I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the residents who voted back in 2018 for $5 million that allowed us to build this station to serve our citizens better," Spurgeon said. 

The City Manager thanked Chief Moore and his team. "Things don't happen by happenstance. It takes hard work," he said. 

Mayor Debra Wimpee said the City's commitment to public safety and its quality of life go hand in hand. She also thanked Chief Moore for the strategic location planning for the new Station #7.

"Minutes matter when it comes to saving lives in our community," Wimpee said.