Broadview Heights Fire desperate for new station

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) - City council is getting ready to make a big decision on the future of the fire departments in Broadview Heights.

According to Chief Jeff Hajek the two stations in the city are hard to function out of and do not meet present standards.

“The stations have been here 62 and 52 years and in that time we’ve spent zero dollars other than maintenance,” said Hajek.

In order to fix the issue renderings for a new fire station and plans to upgrade the other were made.

But back in 2022 voters decided they did not want their taxes to increase, putting the plans on hold.

“A lot of them had said we appreciate what you’re doing, we support you and we even like the project that you presented,” explained Hajek. “We just don’t want our taxes raised”.”

Years later, the department is taking a new approach.

Now that their budget has increased they have found a way to pay for the new building and upgrades without increasing taxes.

“Council is going to vote on if we move forward with the project and move 11.5 million into an account for the fire station,” said Hajek.

The vote will happen in the next few weeks as the council does its final two readings.

Until then, Hajek wants to make it clear that the plan is to not get rid of the station on Wallings but to upgrade it.

Both stations will now have more room for firefighters to sleep, better storage, and proper places for equipment to be sanitized.

“We know it’s a lot of money, no one is saying it’s not,” said Hajek, “But it’s a need for the next 30 years of our future”.