INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Taxpayers had their say in November 2021, quadrupling the sales tax for the Independence Fire Department and making it permanent.
That unlocked millions in funding for the department — and now, firefighters are getting their say as Independence prepares to build three new fire stations.
The Independence City Council approved a $50 million contract with Turner Construction Company in April to build a new and expanded Station 8 a half-mile south of its current location near Independence Power & Light’s power plant, to raze and rebuild Station 5 in southwest Independence, and to build an 11th fire station just east of Centerpoint Medical Center along East 39th Street.
“This is a perfect opportunity to thank the citizens of Independence who voted for and passed the public safety sales tax, our fire safety sales tax, that we have in which affords us the opportunity to build new facilities for our firefighters,” IFD Fire Chief Jimmy Walker said.
The Independence Fire Department hopes to break ground on the replacement Station 8 before the end of the year, with hopes it will be finished in late 2026 or early 2027.
As that project winds down, work will begin to replace Station 5, which houses the department’s hazmat operations, before the new station goes up in southeast Independence with a projected start date in 2029.
“We try to project and forecast where the needs will be in 5, 10, 15 years, because there's always a need for emergency services,” Walker said.
Walker said the increased development in eastern Independence prompted the need for a new fire station on that side of town, with the department’s rank and file at the heart of the design process.
“The really cool thing is, as we've approached designing these, we have done a labor-management process that has included the members of the department who will be working in these stations,” Walker said. “The firefighters have had input into what they'd like to see in these facilities, and that goes a long way for morale, for just our members to have a voice.”
The firefighter working group has already provided valuable guidance about how to make the new stations functional and comfortable for modern-day needs.
“It's the little things, the little fixtures and little needs,” Walker said. “Where do you all want the kitchen? How do you want the kitchen set up? Things that don't really matter on cost, but our firefighters get to have input on, and they're very excited.”
Walker said several other fire stations need attention, including three that were built as temporary fire stations in the 1980s and have outlived their projected useful life by roughly three decades.
“We have a strategic plan that we are following,” Walker said. “... I can't thank the citizens enough for passing this sales tax, which affords us the opportunity to do good things for the community.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
