CINCINNATI — City leaders presented on Tuesday the "Cincy on Track" spending plan, which breaks down what money from the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway would be spent on if approved by voters in November.
The plan includes major investments for some Cincinnati Fire Department facilities. According to the report, funds would be dedicated to replacing three of the current fire stations, including Engine 8 in Pleasant Ridge.
Lt. Rick Jeffries said Engine 8 is in desperate need of renovations. When firefighters return from the scene of a fire, they are often covered in smoke. But at Engine 8, there are only two showers and four firefighters on shift at a time.
“We’re covered in soot, all kinds of carcinogens,” Jeffries said. “So it’s ideal to get back to the firehouse and get cleaned up as soon as we can.”
Jeffries said many times firefighters have to wait up to an hour before they can shower, which is not safe.
“It’s an exposure to known carcinogens. A lot of the fires we go into its a lot of burning plastics and hydrocarbons, it’s not the wood and natural materials of the past,” he said. “Now more than ever, we need to get that off our skin as soon as we can.”
Engine 8 was built in 1931, and officials said very little has changed since.
“There’s been some structural renovation to the floors just to keep it from falling through,” said District Chief Todd Stegmuller. “But other than that, I don't think there's been any major renovation here."
Shifts are 24 hours, so there’s a bunkhouse for the firefighters to get some rest at most stations, but not Engine 8.
“A lot of the firehouses, the newer ones have cubicles at least when you have some privacy,” Jeffries said. “(Here) everything’s wide open, there’s no privacy at all.”
There are four beds, all in one room, for both men and women.
“We’re sleeping co-ed out here,” Jeffries said.
Not only is it uncomfortable, but Jeffries also believes it negatively impacts CFD’s recruitment efforts.
“I mean we’re competing with other fire departments around the area and any new fire department, any new fire station will have separate facilities for females and males,” he said. “Nobody wants to work here when there’s no privacy. It’s just a basic human right to have that and we don’t have that here.”
In the kitchen, there’s not much space. The floor is falling through and the cabinets are falling off. There’s also damage to the ceilings and a lack of parking.
“It’s a third of our lives we’re spending here,” Jeffries said. “You want to have clean facilities to eat, sleep, work out. We don’t have that right now.”
Those who work here at Engine 8 said whether the funding comes from the sale of the railway or somewhere else, the need for improvements is critical.
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