Bowling Green Fire Department Plans Station 9 to Meet City’s Growth

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – The Bowling Green Fire Department is moving forward with plans for a ninth fire station, a project officials say is driven by years of emergency response data and the city’s rapid population growth.

Fire Chief Justin Brooks said the proposed Fire Station 9 would be located at the corner of Turner Court and Russell Road, an area identified through department heat maps and response data as one of the city’s greatest service needs. The station is expected to improve response times between Fire Stations 3 and 4, where more than 1,000 apartment units have been added in recent years and additional residential growth continues along Russell Road. 

“Our decisions are data driven, not only today but in our years past,” Brooks said. “The data suggests that, with the growing city, the growing needs … we have a need right now … for a fire station number nine.” 

According to Brooks, the department analyzed every emergency response, from emergency medical calls to fires and technical rescues, to determine where a new station would have the greatest impact.

“When we started diving into the data, the decision to find a location in the city in this area, it was like a blinking red light,” Brooks said. “We use heat maps that basically chart every single run we’ve ever made.” 

Plans call for Bowling Green’s first two-story fire station. The facility would house an engine company, an aerial truck company, two firefighting crews, and the department’s fire prevention and fire investigation divisions. Brooks said relocating those divisions would improve efficiency and free up space at existing facilities. 

Brooks said the department’s expansion is necessary as Bowling Green continues to add residents and annex new areas into the city.

“The model of doing more with less is just not a sustainable model,” Brooks said. “Being the fastest growing city in the state of Kentucky, the needs for the fire department to be able to expand to future locations is upon us.” 

If city commissioners approve the project, the department will begin site testing before moving into the design phase. Brooks said officials hope to break ground in 2027, with Fire Station 9 expected to open in 2028 when the department’s new Engine 9 is scheduled to arrive.

“Once the site is proven to be suitable for a fire station, we plan to go right into the design phase,” Brooks said. “We hope to break ground in ’27 and … open up service in ’28.”