Photo By Charles Walker | The front side of the new flight line fire station that is being built by the U.S....... read more read more
MOBILE, Ala. – Safety is a priority in the Department of Defense, and fire prevention, especially on a flightline, is a key component.
Firefighters need to be able to respond at a moment's notice to any situation on the flight line involving an aircraft emergency.
Their equipment and vehicles must be in top shape and working order, as well as themselves if they are to respond and prevent and respond to hazardous situations on the flight line.
That is precisely what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, is supporting the Air Force to do at Duke Field, Florida.
Duke Field is an Air Force Reserve Base adjacent to the larger Eglin Air Force Base. The fire station on Duke is nearly 75 years old and not equipped to house more than three fire vehicles.
The Mobile District is building a new fire station to help them bring fire prevention and safety on the flight line into the 21st Century.
"The new fire station will provide them with 10 vehicle stalls to park all of their vehicles indoors," said Robert Schillinger, Duke Field area engineer. "This will decrease response times and allow the fire department to protect the vehicles during increased Force Protection conditions."
The current flight line's fire station at Duke can only house three vehicles, so the firefighters are forced to park vehicles in a hangar.
It also lacks a training room, storage for personal protective equipment, a women's locker room with showers, and a fitness room.
The existing fire station HVAC system also does not function properly, contributing to mold in the station; hence, the need for a fire station.
"The new fire station will have dedicated spaces for a training room, day room, and PPE gear storage and will meet NFPA and UFC standards for fire stations," Schillinger said. "It will also increase mission capability through response times, training, morale, etc., and increase the lifespan of the vehicles by storing them indoors."
Duke Field Battalion Chief Rodney Stautenberg said the new fire station will be a welcome relief for his firefighters and will help them respond to and prevent hazardous situations on the Duke Field flight line.
"Our current fire station is a very antiquated facility," Stautenberg said. "It's an early 1950s building. We have massive dust buildups, mold in the station, and leaky roofs, and we're constantly having to get repairs and constant work orders to make the facility livable. We are looking forward to moving into the new station. It's a nicer facility, and it's modernized."
Erin Larrabee, Project Manager for the new fire station, said it is great that USACE is able to help the Air Force and Duke Field with a new fire station so they can better perform their mission on the base.
"They have quite a few customers on this base; they serve not only the flight line but also the rest of the base, which is huge," Larrabee said. "So being able to be a part of that, giving them a new facility like this, once it is finished, is wonderful for USACE."
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2025 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 495016 |
| Location: | MOBILE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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