
Fire Station Number 4, which is the sixth station serving the town of Smyrna, was officially opened on Monday, January 6, 2025 with a ribbon cutting attended by a full house of dignitaries, community members, media, and firefighters.
No tired Chicago Firehouse 51, this is a beautiful, up-to-date facility with the newest technology and the latest conveniences of home, which it serves as to firefighters on shift. Said retiring Fire Chief Bill Culbertson, “the firefighters are receiving the best because they deserve the best.”
It was an emotional event, as it was the last big project that Chief Culbertson worked on, and it was obvious that his presence would be missed.
“No matter the hour,” said Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed, “he has always been there. It will be hard to imagine our fire department without him.”
The new firehouse has been a two-year project between the fire department, the city council, city administration, contractors the Robins and Morton Group, and architectural firm TMPartners. There were about six months of architectural planning and it took 15 months to complete the building phase.
Breaking ground in September 2023, the process went remarkably smoothly, something that Jeff Earwood of TMPartners says rarely happens.
Smyrna Town Manager, David Santucci, said, “It is a testament to this project about how we worked together and collaborated.”
The land was donated to the town by the Hollingshead family, owners of SRM, and they also graded the land, saving the community $270,000 on the $10.5 million project.
Lora Smith, SRM Chief Marketing Officer, stated that the Hollingshead family was happy to be a part of the project. And she said, “We are thankful for the safety of the families we love.”
The facility encompasses 14,270 square feet, with 900 square feet of training space, eight individual bunk rooms, a fully furnished kitchen, a space where firefighters can relax, as well as the latest communication and firefighting technology. There is also space to add EMS in the future and land to build a new satellite police precinct.
Mayor Reed noted that it has been 15 years since the last fire station was built in Smyrna, and during that time the town has grown from 39,000 people to more than 55,000. The new station will offer the community a significant decrease in response times, which will make a world of difference to those needing their services. It is, Reed added, an “evolution to expanding into the 21st century for the fire department.”
It was stated by Mayor Reed that the vision for the new station began with former Smyrna Town Manager Brian Hercules. He pulled the ideas together and worked with the chief and MTASK to find the right location.
While closing his remarks, Chief Culbertson asked all of the firefighters present to come to the front of the room, because he said, “These people right here, these firefighters, make the difference. Not me.”
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