The Salt Lake County Fire Department opened its first new fire station in five years Tuesday, complete with two old-fashioned fire poles.
The 7,600-square-foot, $1.6 million Fire Station 16, 8303 S. Wasatch Blvd., more than doubles the space of the old building near Butler Middle School. It has the capacity of housing 12 people compared to five at the old station, said Salt Lake County Fire Captain Jay Ziolkowski.
But the standout feature of the new fire station is the two new fire poles. It's the first fire station in the county to be designed with fire poles in 43-years.
Ziolkowski said it does bring a feeling of nostalgia to see firefighters using the poles. When children visit the fire station, it's as big an attraction as the fire engines, he said.
The fire poles were added because of space restrictions on the property where the new station was built. It was easier to build up rather than the standard one-level fire stations of today, Ziolkowski said.
Fire poles were faded out several years ago because of safety concerns, Ziolkowski said. In many cases, firefighters were twisting their ankles when they went down the pole in the middle of the night.
The new station will serve residents in unincorporated Salt Lake County around the east bench.