RUSTON, La. (KNOE) - The Ruston Fire Department is undergoing major upgrades and officials say they’re essential to keeping up with the city’s rapid growth.
A new Fire Station 2 is currently under construction and is expected to open this winter. The existing Station 2, located on the city’s south side, was built in 1949 and is no longer able to meet the department’s needs.
Ruston Fire Chief Chris Womack says the current station has significant limitations due to its age and size.
“New Station 2, replacing a station that opened in 1949. It was very small. We had to have a special design truck just to fit in the station. The last time we placed the engine there. So this station will open early winter. Hopefully it will have a our fire prevention team will be housed there.”
The new facility will not only offer more space but will also serve as the base for the department’s fire prevention team, which focuses on inspections, education, and code enforcement.
Womack says the upgrade is also about improving emergency response coverage, especially near Louisiana Tech University and the city’s growing southern neighborhoods.
“It will absolutely improve coverage because it’s very near Louisiana Tech University. It’s just right down the road in the current station. It helps that and then our coverage on the south side of town will be increased. We’ll have more available units and manpower.”
Ruston is one of the fastest-growing cities in north Louisiana. The city has seen new housing developments, retail expansion, and infrastructure projects across nearly every direction. That growth, Womack says, comes with responsibility.
“The city of Ruston and you just drive around, we’re growing in all directions. And so the the fire department has to keep up with that. That’s a part of that goal is to we don’t want to be playing catch up if no more we have to,” said Womack.
In addition to new facilities, the department is also investing in its fleet. One of the cost-saving measures recently taken was remounting an existing ambulance chassis onto a new frame. Womack says this saved the city over $100,000 compared to purchasing a brand-new vehicle.
This kind of efficiency, paired with new infrastructure, signals what Womack calls a “new chapter” for the Ruston Fire Department. As the city grows, he says, public safety has to grow with it, not behind it.