BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green’s emergency service buildings may soon undergo major changes, as both the Bowling Green Fire Division and Bowling Green Police Division have proposed facility updates to city council. While no decisions have been made yet, the departments are pushing for improvements to the ageing infrastructure.
The BG police building, constructed in 1897, has seen little renovation since 1984. The building is showing multiple signs of wear, with crumbling bricks, an outdated 40-year-old boiler system and inefficient windows.
The department, which handles nearly 30,000 calls annually, is struggling to meet modern demands. In 1984 the station serviced around 14,000 calls.
“Our calls for service have basically doubled since then,” said Lieutenant Adam Skaggs. “We have more officers, more dispatchers, and a 911 center, but the building hasn’t kept up with these changes.”
Skaggs emphasized the goal of preserving the building’s historic charm while making renovations to improve its functionality. Proposed updates include making the building ADA compliant and enhancing citizen access.
A few blocks away, the Court Street fire station faces similar challenges. Built over a former landfill, the station has sinking foundations, cracked walls and malfunctioning doors. Deputy Chief Tony Zmarzly said the fire department is also seeing an increase in calls, responding to around 3,800 in 2024.
The proposal suggests decommissioning the current fire station and replacing it with two new locations to improve response times and firefighter safety.
Both departments hope to present more detailed plans and cost estimates to city council by early 2025.
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