Strongsville Invests in Public Safety With Fifth Fire Station

Completion of Strongsville’s fifth fire station is expected in April 2027, according to Fire Chief Jack Draves. Located at 19191 Royalton Road, in the center of the city, the 14,489-square-foot building is currently under construction.

The fire department’s headquarters will remain at the Ward 4 Fire Station at 17000 Prospect Road.

“We tried not to go to extremes in building this station, because it isn’t the headquarters, but we worked with an architect (DS Architecture) who has a lot of experience building fire stations, and it will be very pleasing to the eye,” says Draves, a member of the fire department since 1993 and appointed chief in 2015. “And it keeps the health and wellness of our firefighters in mind.”

The new, approximately $10 million station will feature three drive-through vehicle bays, a training room, fitness room and living quarters for up to seven firefighters.

The fifth station was needed, according to Draves and city officials, primarily because the department has experienced a 200% increase in call volume since 2004; in some instances, response time has exceeded the national standard of four minutes; and the number of simultaneous calls has increased.

Strongsville, a city of about 24 square miles, also has an aging population and several senior living and senior care facilities, which places a greater demand on EMS. In addition, with the development of nearby Columbia Station and Ohio state Route 82 and U.S. Route 42, traffic has significantly increased, according to the chief.

Classified as an all-hazard response service, the department is responsible for fire, EMS, motor vehicle accidents and Hazmat, as well as non-emergency duties that include safety and first-aid training, fire inspections, code enforcements, fireworks show safety and the flushing of 3,500 hydrants.

Draves is confident in his staff of 65. In 2024, the independent Insurance Service Office awarded his department a PPC 2. That score means among the 38,000 fire departments across the country, Strongsville ranks in the top 6.5%.