Saturday was an exciting day in Dundee, as community members came together to celebrate the opening of Dundee Fire Station No. 3! The weather was overcast and a bit drizzly at times, but that wasn’t enough to prevent a crowd from gathering. By the time I arrived, the new 54-stall parking lot was completely full!

Like many Dundee residents, I have been keeping a watchful eye on the progress of Fire Station No. 3, and have enjoyed seeing the progress over the last year. It was great to hear both Mayor Ted Crawford and Fire Chief John Stock talk about the tremendous collaborative effort between both the City of Dundee and the Dundee Rural Fire District to raise $4 Million dollars for this project.

After several heartfelt speeches, posing for photos, and cutting the ribbon…the crowd was welcomed inside to take a look at the new facility.

I followed the crowd and walked through the front doors and down a hallway to the new apparatus space. The apparatus has the ability house all eight fire vehicles which includes three fire engines, two brush rigs, a command vehicle, a rescue vehicle, and a tender.

Everything was so shiny and red!

I’ve never been in a fire station before, and really enjoyed the experience of exploring the new facility on my own “self-guided” tour. Volunteer Fire Fighters were stationed throughout the building to answer questions and inform visitors about the function and purpose of each space.

All of the Fire Fighters I spoke with were so knowledgeable and friendly, and these are certainly the guys you want helping out in a time of need. I’m also happy to report that in the last few weeks Fire Station No. 3 has gained six new Volunteer Fire Fighters!

The Fire Fighters now have their own spacious living quarters with a kitchen, dining table, and television.

It’s anticipated that this large community space will serve as the new location for City Council meetings. It’s so nice to have such a wonderful space like this in the community!

Wandering through Fire Station No. 3,  I also learned a bit of Dundee history. The purple picture frame and remnants from a purple house caught my attention, and I quickly read the The Newberg Graphic article. Apparently a very purple house use to sit in the exact location of Fire Station No. 3, and as a way to pay tribute to the past, this story was included as part of the new Fire Station No. 3. Pretty cool!

Several bunk rooms and a laundry room allow the volunteers to stay in the station comfortably over an extended period of time.

The upper two levels of Fire Station No. 3 are designated as the “Training Tower.” Smoke can be either pumped in or sucked out of this area to simulate what it might be like to find someone in a structure fire.

I think the best view of the apparatus was from the second story training tower. I couldn’t help but smile watching all of the little kids run around with their “fire hats” on…so much cuteness!

I also got a kick out of the new Fire Station “grill.” This guy was busy grilling the whole time I was at the station and man the hot dogs were good!

I was a bit too caught up in the moment to remember and take pictures of the outside of the building, so I made a quick trip down the street later in the day to grab some pictures. As you can see, the building has a very modern look, which is in line with the newly adopted building code.

The Fire Station achieves both a functional design while incorporating modern features that will make it an iconic fixture along the main drag in Dundee. The building has already received many compliments and accolades from other fire departments around Yamhill County and is certainly a source of civic pride among Dundee residents.

If you missed the opportunity to visit the new Fire Station, I highly recommend that you swing on by for a tour of the facility!