Plans approved for new fire/EMS station serving Carlisle, part of Franklin Twp.
Jan. 27—The local ambulance district that serves the city of Carlisle and the unincorporated areas of Franklin Twp. recently received approval to move forward with plans for a new station and headquarters that will also be shared with the volunteer Carlisle Fire Department.
The Carlisle Planning Commission approved the Joint Emergency Medical Services final development plan at 495 Central Ave., across from the Dairy Queen.
JEMS Chief Jesse Madden said the joint ambulance district is projected to break ground in mid-April, and the new station should be completed by February 2024. He said the total project cost, which will be financed by JEMS, was being determined by the project's design and construction team.
Last year, Carlisle City Council approved the sale of nearly 4.3 acres in the Carlisle Business Park off Ohio 123 for $125,000 to build a new 14,000-square foot station and headquarters for the JEMS District and the Carlisle Fire Department.
City Manager Julie Duffy said at the time that the idea is to have a shared facility that could also house the Carlisle Fire Department from its current firehouse on Lincoln Avenue. She said council took that into account in the selling price with the hope of developing an attractive space that can be used for cross-training, she said.
The new facility will four bays for JEMS vehicles and Carlisle fire apparatus; eight dorm rooms; a training room; combination day room, kitchen and dining area; showers and bathrooms; a decontamination shower and changing area; a fitness room; a laundry room; shared office space for both agencies; storage rooms for EMS supplies, fire hose, self-contained breathing apparatus, and turnout gear.
The JEMS District needs to move its facility from its Franklin location on East Sixth Street next to Community Park off Ohio 123 because of the upcoming construction of the new Franklin High School campus across the road and the new roundabout that will require some of the current JEMS property.
Duffy said once the new station is completed, the plan is to move the city's Public Works Department to the Carlisle Fire Station on Lincoln Avenue. Currently, the Public Works Department shares a facility with Carlisle police on Fairview Drive.
