WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The Johnson County Fire Protection District (JCFPD) has opened its new facility at Washington Street and Business 50.

After remodeling the former car dealership for six months, most of the staff moved in during April.

While the old building downtown is no longer occupied, the JCFPD does use some of the space for storage.

Built in 1986, the old facility could no longer keep up with the demands of a growing community.

Along with the expansion of space, the new facility on Business 50 has four sleeping quarters, each with two twin beds. The open-floor plans of the kitchen and dining areas are inviting and have a family-like atmosphere.

The larger area allows the firefighters to cook, dine and lounge all in one area. People in the community have donated items such as a big-screen television, an audio system, and various workout equipment. Another plus is the bathrooms. In the old building, there was only one bathroom, and both men and women had to share the same room.

Now, men and women have their own separate bathrooms, each with a few stalls and one shower. Soon, Chief Larry Jennings will have lockers installed, as well.

“It’s been a labor of love,” said Jennings about the huge bay areas for the trucks.

Instead of having to park the trucks outside all of the time, the firefighters now can park all the trucks in the garage, thus protecting them from the elements and vandalism.

While some of the items were donated, a brand new washer and dryer set had to be purchased, as well as an extractor and a heavy- duty dryer for major cleaning.

“These [washer and dryer] are well worth it. It’s nice to be able to wash multiple clothing at once, said Jennings.

All in all, the firefighters welcome the larger space. Jennings would like to host an open house to introduce to the public the new facility.

“We are very pleased with our new building and could not be any happier,” said Jennings.


Here are some of the new facilities and amenities at the new fire station: