CFD breaks ground on a new and improved Station 15

Officials plan for completion by Spring 2024

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The Chattanooga Fire Department broke ground for their new and improved, Shallowford Road Station 15 Fire Hall, on Thursday.

“This station was fourteen-years-old by the time I was born, so it’s near and dear to my heart,” said Demetrus Coonrod, District 9 Councilwoman, and East Dale resident.

The 63-year-old building will be turned into a state-of-the-art fire station located within the East Dale community.

“So I would like to extend my heart and gratitude to our firefighters, the true heroes of our community. Day in and day out- you selflessly put your lives on the line to protect us- our homes and our loved ones,” said Coonrod.

This project has been years in the making and will come to fruition under Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s administration.

“It’s been a staple this community for more than six decades, and while this project will give the 63-year-old facility a new modern shape- the same care, the same compassion and dedication, that CFD and the city have for this community will remain as strong as they ever have,” said Mayor of Chattanooga, Tim Kelly.

The old Station 15 will be demolished and the new fire station will be built on the same footprint.

Robert Roberts LLC are the architects for this project at a cost of $4.3 million.

The station will go from a single-bay station to a two-bay, 9,500 square foot building.

“You got to think these firefighters are in the station’s 24/7. And living with somebody for 24 hours, we work a 24 hour shift, so quarters can get kind of tight. So this will definitely give them some options a little bit more room for growth and make it really comfortable environment for them to respond out of,” said Chattanooga Fire Chief, Phil Hyman.

This allows for further expansion of the fire department as Chattanooga continues to grow in population.

“I’m really proud of all 400 something plus of our firefighters that do the job every day. It’s a difficult job, and I’m just proud that we’re able to give them more tools and resources to do their job more safely and more efficiently,” said Hyman.

It will have a kitchen, living area, sleeping rooms, showers, locker rooms and a gym.

Station 15 personnel will be relocated to Station 6 on Bonny Oaks Drive for the duration of construction.

Officials say construction should last until around Spring 2024.

This was all made possible through a collaborative effort between the CFD, the Chattanooga Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Department of Technology Services.

To date, crews must use routes that go around the tunnel because it is too narrow for them to fit with other vehicles.

Stopping traffic and allowing fire apparatus to go through will cut down on travel time and enable firefighters to get to calls faster.

The new Fire Station 15 will be a model design for future fire station builds as the CFD continues working to meet the city’s increased service needs, including a new location in Black Creek.

Nine new firefighter positions have already been added to the department.