Two plastic fire trucks decorating a cake taunted Caleb Nygren, 4, and his brother, Ethan, 3, while they waited for the uncoupling ceremony to begin Nov. 4, signifying the opening of Fort Riley (KS) Fire Station 5.
The boys, along with their father, Sgt. Jeremy Nygren, 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and mother, Genie, assisted Fort Riley officials in opening the newest station on post that will serve the Forsyth neighborhood, along with the Commissary and Post Exchange.
Built nearly two years ahead of schedule, the Fort Riley station was the only permanent station built in Installation Management Command-West Region during this fiscal year.
(1) From left, Garrison Commander Col. Kevin Brown; Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Mann; Chris Ferris, director, DES, and Fire Chief Scott Delay, FRFD; with the help of others push the new fire engine into Fort Riley Fire Station 5 Nov. 4 during the uncoupling ceremony. Photos by author.
“As the newest fire station here on post, it serves as a model for future stations around the Army and also provides some capacity that’s been long needed for our new housing here in the Forsyth neighborhood,” said Col. Kevin Brown, Fort Riley garrison commander.
Built by McKinzie Construction as a Kansas City District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project, the 6,700-square-foot facility cost $2.6 million and will house one company – four firefighters each working 72-hour work weeks – 24 hours on duty and 24 hours off duty.
(2) From left, Randy Fountain, renovation, Picerne Military Housing; Sgt. Jeremy Nygren, 5th Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt., 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div., his Family Genie, Caleb, 4, and Ethan, 3, Nygren; Fire Chief Scott Delay, FRFD; Garrison Commander Col. Kevin Brown; Deputy Garrison Commander Linda Hoeffner; Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Mann and Chris Ferris, director, DES, uncouple a fire hose Nov. 4 signifying the opening of Fort Riley Fire Station 5 in the Forsyth neighborhood.
As people walked through the new station they saw many of the comforts of their own home including a full-size kitchen, TV, recliners, separate bedrooms and a laundry room.
In keeping with IMCOM and Fort Riley sustainability efforts the fire station was built with energy-saving features in mind.
“Solar heated hot water, energy saving lighting, geothermal heating and air conditioning (and) thermal window and energy star appliances are just some of the improvements that make this fire station (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and sustainable,” Brown said.
The station was built as part of the Army Family Covenant, Brown said, and it also correlates with the commander’s intent and lines of effort of taking care of Soldiers and Families.
“It serves two very important audiences, and that’s why it’s so important that we worked this hard to have it open this fast,” Brown said. “First, is those firefighters,” Brown said, “that on a day-to-day basis serve honorably and take care of us and provide security – kind of the unsung heroes behind the scenes that get the job done. The old saying of, ‘Look like a team, play like a team’ goes into effect here today with this great new facility that’s going to support this housing area behind us.”
The other population mentioned was Families.
“This facility is yet another step toward giving our Soldiers the quality of life they deserve,” Brown said. “You know in everything that we do, we have at the end of the day, the safety and security of our Families in mind.”
Brown reminded attendees of Gen. George W. Casey Jr., chief of staff of the Army, who said, “The Army is the strength of our nation; the Soldiers are the strength of the Army; but our Families are the strength of those Soldiers.”
“Having this facility here, certainly visibly and certainly in terms of its actual execution, gives a firm reminder that we are absolutely committed to the safety and security of our Families here at Fort Riley,” Brown said.
Following his remarks Brown, Deputy Garrison Commander Linda Hoeffner, Fire Chief Scott Delay and the Nygren Family took part in the traditional hose uncoupling.
The hose uncoupling is an event rooted in fire service tradition used throughout the United States for more than 150 years. The new hose signifies a new beginning for the station in the service of the Fort Riley community.
Following the uncoupling, Chap. (Maj.) Orlando Fuller, garrison chaplain, blessed the new fire engine before pushing the engine into its new home within the station.
The “pushing in” of the new engine into the station is a ceremony that stems from the 1800s at a time when fire engines were horse-drawn equipment. At that time, firefighters needed to push the carriage back into the firehouse because the horses were unable to do so.
Following the traditions, the Nygren boys patiently waited while Brown did the ceremonial cutting of the cake, and the boys were then given the go ahead to take the plastic fire trucks. Attendees enjoyed refreshments and could tour the new facility.
With the opening of this station, there are now five fire stations at Fort Riley. The other stations are: the Headquarters Station on Custer Hill, Station 2 on Main Post, Station 3 on Marshall Army Airfield and Station 4 in Camp Funston.
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