New fire station opens in one of Murfreesboro’s fastest growing areas

Murfreesboro residents in the Blackman and Gateway areas should receive quicker response times after Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) opened Fire Station 11 Sunday, May 3, on Blaze Drive adjacent to Blackman High School.

The new $3.9 million station is part of a strategic plan and accreditation model to improve response times to calls and meet national standards of less than four minutes 90 percent of the time.

“We’ve been looking for some time now at how to provide the best response times and the best locations for our fire stations amid the rapid growth in our city,” said MFRD Chief Mark Foulks. “Better response times have been proven to enhance outcomes no matter the type of emergency.”

MFRD Captain Raleigh Marlin said firefighters from other stations were transferred to Station 11.

All MFRD’s Hazardous Materials Response equipment will be housed at the station.

Previously, the equipment was stored at various stations across the City.

“We added additional personnel about a year ago so the additional station helps put personnel and equipment in places where it can best be utilized to help the City,” Marlin said.

“Distributing personnel and equipment hasn’t hindered us at all. We are still fully staffed and are now better enabled to respond to emergencies.”

Foulks said lowering the response time may result in a better Insurance Service Office rating that determines how well the community is protected in case of a fire emergency.

“It helps set home insurance rates within the City,” explained Foulks. “Location is an important factor when it comes to the ISO rating.”

Fire Station 11 is designed to accommodate up to 10 MFRD firefighters and includes workspace for Murfreesboro Police officers to write reports and conduct business.

“We are a growing community and we needed to expand our coverage area to better assist

those who live and work in our community,” Foulks said.

Murfreesboro City Council approved construction of the station in June 2019 and construction began in August.

An official grand opening ceremony date has not been set at this time.