After a long three years of hard work and preparation, Arlington's newest fire station is fully operational and open for business. Station 48, located on Smokey Point Boulevard, will cover the Smokey Point area that was annexed into Arlington city limits. The City of Arlington found a new commercial building, signed a lease, and converted the empty building into a new, well-equipped fire station.

Station 48 can host three staff members on each shift: a captain, a paramedic, and a firefighter. Each crew takes one, 24-hour shift and rotates with two other three-man crews, allowing each team to have a two-day rest period. The station has three individual sleeping rooms, a bathroom, kitchen, office and upstairs storage space.

Officially opening its phone lines for calls on Thursday, October 1, the new station has already seen a lot of action. Brandon Asher, one of the new captains for Station 48, was on staff to witness the busy second day for the new station last Friday.

"Between the downtown station and our station, we had 18 calls. It was a crazy day," said Asher.

For the past ten years, Marysville's Fire District 12 and Silvana's Fire District 19 have been covering the Smokey Point area. Now that the new station is open and District 12 is no longer responsible for that area, Station 48 is not left to fend for itself in the early stages of its opening. Silvana Fire District 19 has partnered up with the new station and will have some fire staff on each shift with the new Arlington crew.

Although the new station location is temporary for at least the next few years, the men and women at Station 48 are excited to call this their new home. Mayor Margaret Larson echcoed this enthusiasm at the ribbon cutting on October 5, saying, "This is a wonderful day for Arlington. It feels great to know now that we can cover our own boundaries."

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