SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A new fire station in Springfield was unveiled thanks in part to a level property tax renewal passed in 2017 and it’s a much-needed addition to West Springfield.

KOLR10 spoke to a business owner, who also played a crucial role in bringing the fire station to West Springfield. They said the community is ecstatic to finally have a fire station in close proximity.

“It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood because we have long needed a fire station in west Springfield at this location, it was identified as you heard in 2017 and to see it in operation today, we know we live in a safer place,” said Phyllis Ferguson. 

Phyllis Ferguson served on Springfield City Council back in 2017 when voters approved the level property tax renewal. 

Projects funded by this tax include several upgrades to existing fire stations along with the newly built Station 13 and Station 14 are scheduled to be completed in 2026. 

The Springfield Fire Department released its second quarter fire safety report and close to half of the fires that the department responded to were in Zone 1. 

From April to June of this year, the fire department responded to 51 structure fires and 23 were in Zone 1. 

Over the last 5 years, the Springfield Fire Department has responded to 400 structure fires in total. In an effort to bring that number down, firefighters have shared tips on fire prevention by leaving door hangers at each apartment community they visited.  

They were able to visit over 500 apartment buildings and left more than 10,000 hangers. 

“It’s good to see where our tax dollars are at work especially knowing folks go to sleep tonight in a safer,” said Ferguson. 

She said due to the age of the homes in the area along with other factors coming into play, fires are more frequent in the area. But with a fire station close by, Ferguson said it’s a win-win for everyone. 

“The IOS rating always gets better for an area when there is a fire station closer in proximity to your property. So as a homeowner and a business having a fire station located over here is helpful for all of us,” said Ferguson.