BIXBY, Okla. — After gaining the support of voters during a bond issue back in 2021, the City of Bixby officially broke ground on a new Fire and EMS station headquarters Tuesday.
“It’ll have five separate bays in between. Five firefighter quarters on one side, and administrative offices and an emergency operating center on the other side," Bixby Fire Chief Mike Butler said at the groundbreaking ceremony, attended by city leaders, building architects, and fellow first responders. "It’ll probably be one of the largest of its type in all the Tulsa metro area.”
While the city saw its population boom 45% in just 11 years, Mayor Brian Guthrie said its needs for fast-responding emergency medical services have also ballooned.
“Downtown, we just didn’t have the room to grow there," Guthrie said. "And now we can add the ambulance service, which is what our constituents expect from us in passing the last bond.”
Guthrie points to the city’s western expansion along State Highway 67 as a key reason that 84.5% of voters wanted a new #1 fire station and to break off its dependence on EMSA for ambulance transports.
“We have EMSA now, but once we launch this service full-time, then of course EMSA will go away but we want to keep them as a backup,” Guthrie said.
But voters also approved the future headquarters for around $8.5 million. The mayor admits that price tag has risen with inflation, but said his constituents won’t shoulder the extra costs.
“Our actual costs are going to be quite a bit more than that just from the rising cost of labor and materials, but we will be able to cover that cost without having to go back to the voters,” Guthrie said.
Chief Matthew Dickerson oversees the new Bixby EMS, which will be housed inside the 29,0000-square foot complex once it's completed in early 2024.
“I come in with the process and have started to train the firefighters," Dickerson said. "They are ready to take this on. It’s going to be pretty exciting, especially to watch it grow day to day and week to week.”
With two ambulances and reaching 25 trained paramedics, Dickerson wants residents, new to Bixby or not, to know their lives are in good hands.
“Our guys are working really hard to prepare," Dickerson said. "They are putting in the time and effort to make sure that this is done right and done the best they can do.”
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