Bayport Fire Department moving to new station

The Bayport Fire Department is set to move into new digs this weekend, and the move couldn't come at a better time for the volunteer squad.

"We've outgrown the old structure," said Bayport Fire Chief Allen Eisinger. "There's a lot of pride that we're getting a new station. The station's state-of-the-art."

Bayport's old, cramped station — which sits across from an elementary school in the bustling downtown district — had become outdated and troublesome for the city's 22 volunteer firefighters. So city officials decided to build a new station with a land grant from the state and financial help from surrounding townships served by the department.

The new $5.65 million brick-and-steel station, built with locally made Andersen Windows and more than double the size of the old one, is located on a 4.2-acre parcel about a mile away from the old fire hall.

The land for the new Bayport station was formerly held by Stillwater state prison and given to the city because the fire department serves both that prison and the nearby state prison at Oak Park Heights.

The Bayport force, which responded to 1,024 calls last year, also serves Baytown Township, Oak Park Heights and West Lakeland Township. The department's service area includes a retirement home complex in Oak Park Heights and covers the large Andersen Windows factory in Bayport.

"We may be the busiest fire department that's all volunteer," Eisinger said.

The move will mean less stress for firefighters, the chief said. Large, modern fire engines barely fit in the current station's garage; pulling an engine out is like playing a life-size game of chess.

The location of the old station wasn't ideal, either. If a call comes in during the school day, firefighters often must navigate elementary school pickup and drop-off traffic, Eisinger said. And it's surrounded by homes.

"When we're leaving at two in the morning, we're waking a lot of people up," he said.

Bayport's move comes just a year after neighboring Stillwater also moved its fire department out of downtown.

In small-town America, State Fire Marshal Bruce West said, most fire stations were built downtown. But as cities grow and technology changes, the need for larger and modern stations becomes apparent, he said; now it's common for fire departments in growing communities to relocate in less congested areas.

Moving into a new fire station isn't like moving into a new home, Eisinger said. As the date for Bayport's move drew nearer, he met with Stillwater Fire Chief Stuart Glaser and asked: "Well, how do you move a fire station?"

Bayport's move will occur incrementally over the span of a few weeks, he said. There will be a short period when firefighters will work out of both the old and new facilities.

Bayport's old fire station likely will house new tenants, Bayport City Administrator Logan Martin said. The city would like to lease the building, still structurally sound, to a nonprofit or community-oriented tenant, Martin said. No timetable has been set, and the city is deciding how much building repairs will cost.

This weekend, as Bayport's volunteer firefighters move to the new station, the Stillwater Fire Department will cover the area. "We helped them, they'll help us," Eisinger said.

Barry Lytton is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.