Having a fire station nearby is a significant plus for increasing business interest at the Greene County airport, said James Christensen, president of the Greene County Regional Airport Authority.
Transferring land from the airport requires FAA approval and the process took nearly two years, Christensen said.
“Having airport-trained firefighting on field is a service typically only available at larger airports that makes our operations safer, as well as more attractive to owners and insurers of larger aircraft,” Christensen said.
The fire station has been part of the township’s long-term planning for a long time, said township Administrator Ryan Rushing. The Beavercreek Twp. Fire Department covers nearly 50 square miles, and a Standards of Cover analysis in 2016 found that the northeast and southeast corners of the township were lacking in response times.
“The township had already owned property in the northeast area that had been planned for a fire station for several decades,” Rushing said. “Locating land in the southeast corner proved more challenging, but with the strong partnership we have with the Greene County Airport, it was a natural place to have a conversation to co-locate facilities to reduce costs and support each other.”
The station will also serve future developments in that area. The southeast quadrant of Beavercreek Twp. has been approached for further development from several interested parties, Rushing said, with more than 850 acres of undeveloped land either being marketed for development or currently owned by parties with future development plans, he said.
“The Beavercreek Township Fire Department does not plan stations for the next five or 10 years. The department plans stations for 50, 100-plus years. The future growth of these areas necessitates the need for station placement, and we were clear and upfront about the plans to build said stations to the voters, who ultimately approved the request,” Rushing said.
Beavercreek Twp.’s 10-year funding cycle was last approved by voters in 2019. The 2019 levy included funding for two fire stations totaling $12 million. Station 65, completed in 2021, cost about $4.9 million, leaving roughly $7.1 million for Station 66.
“The funding constraints are clearly defined by the voters, and we will adhere to those constraints,” Rushing said, adding that any additional costs would have to be voter-approved.
The station doesn’t yet have an estimated construction date, but once determined, would take about 18 months to complete, Rushing said.
The Greene County Airport has gotten much busier in the last few years, Christensen said. Fixed base operator MacAir Aviation provides training to the US Air Force School for Aerospace Medicine, as well as flight training for Sinclair College. The airport also hosts Air Camp, the Greene County Career Center’s aircraft maintenance program, and the Experimental Aviation Association’s Young Eagles program that provides free flights to kids.
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