City leaders, members of the Celina Fire Department and representatives from neighboring cities and the state government gathered to celebrate the official opening of Celina’s third fire station on April 4.

“It is both a state-of-the-art facility for our first responders and a testament to our unwavering commitment to public safety,” Mayor Ryan Tubbs said.

Fire Station No. 3 stands at the city’s western border with Aubrey, Texas, and will support Celina as it continues to grow, Tubbs said.

“It's a high honor to welcome you today [and] sharing in such great excitement as we mark a significant milestone in the city of Celina’s journey towards ensuring the safety and well being of our community,” he said.

The big picture

Ceremony attendees marked the occasion with a fire hose-uncoupling ceremony, a fire station twist on a ribbon-cutting ceremony where officials uncouple multiple fire hoses instead of using large scissors to cut a ribbon.

“This is the third time we've gotten to do this,” Celina Fire Chief Mark Metdker said. “It seems like the stations get bigger and more people show up every time we do it. Thank you for the support.”

The new fire station is 23,000 square feet and features:

• Five engine bays
• A community room
• A workout facility
• A kitchen and dining room
• Dormitory spaces

“Fire Station No. 3 not only enhances our city's emergency response capabilities but also underscores our steadfast commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of our residents,” Tubbs said.

Fire Station No. 3 also serves as a museum of the fire department’s history since its founding in 1912, Metdker said. A large mural on the side of the station depicts a man with glasses who became the city’s first fire chief in 1920, he said.

“We're very, very proud of that mural,” Metdker said.

Why it matters

Fire Station No. 3 is the city’s first to be built west of the Dallas North Tollway, something that should cut response times to west Celina emergencies in half, Metdker told Community Impact.

“As we grow, we're going to make sure that we have the fire infrastructure in place to make sure our residents are kept safe,” City Manager Robert Ranc told Community Impact.

Every fire station in Celina is strategically picked to be close to residents, Ranc said.

“We're already looking ahead to Fire Station No. 4,” he said.

Going forward

A second grand opening celebration will take place at the new station April 6 as a way for west Celina community members to explore the new facility, Metdker told Community Impact.

“We want the taxpayers and the people that actually paid for this to see what their money bought,” he said. “This is their station, not ours.”