Lincoln Fire and Rescue to open new Station 10 in north Lincoln in July

In just about a month, north Lincoln will have a new fire station. Station 10 will open near 27th and Superior or July 1. Previously, the closest station to that area is at 14th and Adams.

This station will replace the 14th and Adams station.

This time last year, Lincoln Fire and Rescue was opening Station 11 in northwest Lincoln. LFR says opening stations on the north side of the city is an effort to improve response times in a part of the city that's growing quickly.

The new Station 10 features a design that flows from the living area to the space where trucks and ambulances are.

"All the personal movement, all the people movement flows to the app floor, so it is really designed so we can get out the door and get to the call quickly," said Assistant Chief Patrick Borer.

The station is also designed to minimize contamination as well as maximize firefighter health. There are several decontamination washrooms between the bay and the living quarters.

"A big problem is the contamination that we get when we go out to a fire is known to cause cancer so we want to make sure we aren't taking that from the hot zones, like the bay, to the place where we sleep, or the cool zones," Borer said.

Another focus of Station 10 is the focus on firefighter health, both physical and mental. The station has several large windows to let in lots of natural light, and open spaces to encourage gathering.

"PTSD is a problem in this field, and so we want to make sure we do things like use natural light to relieve stress and let the firefighters gather as a team and really bond," Borer said.

To improve response times, LFR says it's the little things you might not think about that can make a big difference.

For example, the new station features an emergency bypass lane. It's a new concept for Lincoln. It allows firefighters to get the trucks around the station should they get another call before they can park the rig in the garage.

"It's not uncommon that before we pull in, we get sent to another call," Borer said. "This prevents them having to back up the trucks, which can be really difficult, and this way, they don't have to go through the building."

Station 10 will have a hard open date of July 1, but Borer says firefighters will be working from the station on and off through June.

Also, LFR says it plans to have Station 12, near 84th and Pioneers, open in the next few months, or early next year.